


Half Light, Just After Dawn. Dark Night, When All is Gone

by ObsidionWingsofMidnight



Series: Lawlu Fairy Tale AU's [5]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alpha Monkey D. Luffy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fairy Tale Retellings, I apologize in advance, M/M, Minor Eustass Kid/Killer/Trafalgar D. Water Law, Omega Trafalgar D. Water Law, Slow Burn, The Six Swans, angst out the fucking wazoo, believe me when i say that i update SLOWLY, but like LOTS of angst before then, get ready for the loosest interpretation of the 6 swans ever, it's more of a friends with benefits thing, like the rate rn is 5-6 months per fic lol, mainly for Law, my bad - Freeform, no update schedule we die like men, sorry law, the slowest of burns, timeliness is not my forte
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-03
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24518320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObsidionWingsofMidnight/pseuds/ObsidionWingsofMidnight
Summary: When a royal decree issues a new selection for the crown prince to find a partner, volunteering is the furthest from his mind. Preoccupied with saving his siblings, and staying alive without being captured, he somehow finds himself at the center of attention of the entire royal court. Time is running out, and there is no room for errors, but he can't help but be distracted by the crown prince's youngest brother.Love sure had bad timing.
Relationships: Monkey D. Luffy/Trafalgar D. Water Law
Series: Lawlu Fairy Tale AU's [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1498736
Comments: 13
Kudos: 95





	1. The Candidate from Swallow Island

Zoro thought this whole business was a waste of time. If the crown prince didn’t want to get married, it would be useless to try and force him into it. But tradition was tradition, and seeing as none of the princes had deigned to marry yet and thus secure the crown’s future by creating more heirs, it fell to the oldest one. Garp, the regent, had at least been lenient enough to give him an extra year to try and find someone he found suitable on his own. 

Naturally, Ace failed to do so, as he was not inclined to find anyone at all. And so the decree of a selection went out. 

The process went like this: When the heir apparent reached the age of twenty one, all twenty one surrounding islands chose a single candidate to send to the mainland of the Goa Kingdom for the prince to consider as a potential spouse. Acceptable primary and secondary genders of candidates was predetermined by the prince- which in Ace’s case meant everybody because he didn’t bother setting any stipulations- although all candidates had to be within the ages of eighteen to thirty. They would then spend their time on the mainland trying to determine who the prince found most suitable. By the end of the year, the prince would either choose a spouse or resign himself to another batch of candidates, and the process would begin again. 

In Zoro’s all too honest opinion, he thought it was likely that Ace would have to go through at least five batches of candidates before agreeing to marry any of them. If not more. 

But Zoro’s opinion hardly counted in such matters, which was why he was waiting on the shores of the mainland for the candidate from Swallow Island to appear. 

Swallow Island was the smallest island, and hardly anyone of import had come from there in centuries. Basically, it was the bottom of the totem pole. No one expected anything or anyone significant from Swallow Island, and that was why the sent him there. Because he couldn’t piss off anyone important. 

A wise move on their part. He was already kind of grumpy that he had to travel to the edge of the mainland in the first place, and now he was stuck there dying of boredom until the candidate showed up. And then, if all went well, he could die further of boredom as they traveled back to the capital. As a best case scenario. 

“Hey, Zoro- race me! I bet I can beat you home! Shishishi!” He smirked. 

Alright, so he was being a bit dramatic. He could never really die of boredom with Luffy around. He could die in plenty of other ways, but boredom was certainly not one of them. 

“Idiot!” Nami squawked as she smacked the other on the head. “No racing! We’re supposed to be escorting the candidate, not playing around!” Spoilsport. 

She, like most of them, had been sent along to make sure Luffy didn’t cause too much trouble. And Luffy was there because he was Zoro’s best friend, and he didn’t want to be separated for more than a day. And everyone back home was forced to go along with it because Luffy was a prince, and Garp was too busy taking care of other business to forbid him from tagging along. So although Swallow Island was the least significant of their territories, it was getting a much larger receiving party than warranted, due to Luffy’s involvement. 

Not that they were going to explain that to the candidate unless they asked. It would be stupid to let them think it was because they were honoring them or something by having a prince join them. Better to just try and brush off Luffy’s importance. Hopefully they would have no idea who he was. 

“So? They can race too!” Luffy protested loudly, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head. 

Robin sidled up behind him and laughed lightly, patting him lightly on the shoulder. “Luffy, the candidate has to stay in the carriage, and I’m afraid it’s just not built for racing. You’ll have to wait until you make it back to the castle if you want to race with Zoro. Why not look around and enjoy the scenery in the meantime?” she suggested. 

“Yeah, let’s make a sandcastle!” Usopp added enthusiastically. “I bet I can build the best sandcastle in the whole kingdom. It’ll be a sandcastle people will travel from all edges of the kingdom to come marvel at,” he said, puffing out his chest. 

“What? Nuh uh! I’m going to build the best sandcastle!” The two of them hurtled down the beach to dig in the wet sand, the prince thoroughly distracted. Chopper and Franky went tumbling after them to join in on the fun, and Brook trailed along humming merrily. Zoro was left with Nami, Robin, and Sanji on the grassy turf that overlooked the beach. 

He wished he had some rum. Rum would be good. 

He sighed heavily as he plopped down on the grass. Maybe he should meditate. It wasn’t like there was much else to do while he waited. Unlike Luffy, he was supposed to actually keep up professional appearances, so he couldn’t go rolling around in the sand. Not unless he wanted Nami to skin him alive, that is. 

Taking another look at the horizon, he scanned for any sign of the candidate. Swallow Island was too far to see on the mainland, but on a clear day like today, it shouldn’t take more than a few hours for a small boat to make the journey. It would take a little less time on a larger vessel, but the island was so small that he didn’t think there were any around. Besides, candidates were only allowed to take two other people with them as protectors, so bringing a large vessel would have been almost pointless. Some of the more prominent islands sent large vessels to send off their candidates with excessive fanfare, but he highly doubted it would be the case for them. 

“Don’t worry, Zoro. The candidate would likely have left around dawn, so they should arrive soon. We’ll warn you as soon as we see them coming,” Robin said kindly, gesturing for him to go ahead and begin his meditation. 

He nodded his thanks and closed his good eye, drowning out the rest of the world until his mind went blank. 

It was nearly an hour later when Sanji nudged him none too gently in the arm with his foot, matching the glare that Zoro sent him with one of his own. “Someone’s on the horizon, Moss-head,” he deadpanned. 

And sure enough, he could see a speck in the distance. It would be some time yet before the candidate reached the shore, but at least he could keep track of them now. 

Down on the beach he could see that the others had given up on their sandcastles. Franky’s was obviously the most developed one- he’d always been good with his hands- but Usopp’s was a close second. Chopper and Luffy’s looked more like piles of sand that were near indistinguishable from the area around them, other than the fact that they had little twigs sticking out the tops. Instead of creating more sand monuments, they seemed to be having the time of their lives burying Franky’s hulking form up to his neck. 

Slowly but surely, the speck grew until they could make out three figures in the small boat. The guys on the beach continued goofing around, completely oblivious to the approaching party. That was okay though. Better not to have Luffy notice to soon, lest he do something rash like swim out to meet them. 

Luckily, they all became distracted when a flock of swans flew ashore, trumpeting as they landed. Luffy immediately went sprinting to them, and the others happily followed. 

It would have been fine if Luffy knew how to keep his hands to himself, but of course he tried to pick one of the smaller ones up, which resulted in an awful lot of honking and pecking and flapping that had the rest of them hurrying down to help out. Naturally, this ended in even more mayhem, and he was saying plenty of colorful curses for all the scratches he was going to have from the experience. 

By the time they extracted themselves from the swans, the boat was a mere twenty feet from the shore. 

“Shit,” he grumbled, shaking loose feathers from his hair before wading toward the newcomers. 

Two of them were almost as bulky as Franky- the protectors, he assumed. Both of them were clearly alphas, but that was hardly a surprise. Most protectors were alphas. One of them had violently red hair, an ugly scar that went over one of his eyes, and an even bigger and uglier scar that extended from his forehead down his exposed chest. He was also missing one of his hands, although there was a jagged blade attached to a cuff where his skin ended. The other one had a mane of blond hair, but other than that, it was hard to tell. He wore a strange mask with blue stripes that was dotted with holes and covered the majority of his head. 

He always figured he’d have to keep an eye on protectors regardless of where they came from, but he definitely wasn’t letting his guard down around these two. 

As for the last figure, he wasn’t sure what to make of them. He’d sort of been expecting some bright eyed, hopeful kid who was eager to meet the crown prince. The man in the boat did not look like that at all. In fact, he looked about as excited to be there as Zoro did. Perhaps even less so. 

His tan skin was broken apart by pale swatches where all the color seemed to have been bleached out, and he had hair so dark it almost looked blue in the light. Even though he was hunched over, he could tell he was tall. His long legs were proof enough. Despite being slouched over, there was still something about his casual posture in the presence of so many alphas that spoke of confidence and ease. He would have guessed alpha, maybe even beta, but when the breeze rolled by he got a whiff of the other’s scent that was too sweet to be either. An omega then, by the name of Trafalgar D. Water Law, or so he’d been told before he left. He wondered briefly if it would bother him that Zoro’s entire party consisted of alphas and betas, but brushed it off. It’s not like they could do anything about that. 

Curiously enough, his hands were covered in their entirety by bandages. One hand partially obscured his face, but under it Zoro could see the pinched look on it as if he were in pain. 

“Hey, are you alright?” he asked gruffly. He may not have wanted to be there, but he also wasn’t going to be a complete ass to someone who had done nothing to earn his ire. And he didn’t like seeing people in pain, unless he knew they’d done something to earn it. You know, like try and murder someone or something. And he couldn’t imagine one of the islands shoving a murderer at their crown prince as a candidate to be his bride. 

Now, he’d never been around for a selection before, seeing as the last one had been back when Garp needed to get engaged, but based off what he’d heard so far, islands didn’t typically send anyone less than their best. They wanted their candidate to become the next king’s spouse. So usually they sent whoever they thought would win him over. So it just seemed kind of weird that Swallow Island would send over this injured, displeased man to be their candidate. Honestly, were they trying to insult the crown, or was there something about this guy that really made them think he was their best chance? Or maybe Swallow Island was worse off than he thought, and everyone else was even worse off than this omega. Who knows. Not Zoro, that’s for sure. 

The redheaded protector barked out a laugh and slapped his hand on the side of the boat. “He’s fine. It’s just his time of the month. You’ll be okay, won’t you Law?” he said, leering at the other. Zoro’s fingers clenched around the edge of the boat, trying to hold back his annoyance. He didn’t like assholes, and his opinion certainly didn’t improve when he was waist deep in cold water. 

The candidate moved his hand for a moment so that he could glare at his protector in full force, and if looks could kill, Zoro knew the alpha would be nothing more than pile of ashes ready to blow away with the next gust of wind. 

After a moment though, he replaced it, massaging his temples a bit as he did so. The masked protector leaned over to close the short distance between them and remove it. He swept the hair from Trafalgar’s forehead and hummed as he put his own hand against it. “Hot today. You want more medicine?” he asked, voice a low rumble. 

Trafalgar Law waved him off, although he flipped his other protector off for good measure when he let out a disparaging snort. 

“Aw, don’t be so pissy. You ought to be nicer- his royal highness’s schmuck is even wading through the water to greet you. But maybe he just thinks we’re too stupid to reach the empty shoreline on our own,” he sneered. 

“It’s tradition to have the escort lead the candidate in,” Zoro snapped. A little quieter he grumbled, “Although I’d happily dump you out of the boat and leave you behind, if you want.” 

The two of them leveled their best glares at each other. 

Someone cleared their throat behind him on the shore- sounded like the shitty cook- and Zoro snapped back to the task at hand. Carefully, he led the boat towards the others until it scraped against the sand and water sloshed around his knees once more. All the while, he refused to break eye contact with the redhead. 

He was forced to look away first however, when Trafalgar swayed unsteadily to his feet. Zoro’s outreached hand stopped him in his tracks, and he saw a look of annoyance flash across the omega’s features. 

“Sorry, but candidates aren’t allowed to touch solid ground on the mainland until they reach the palace grounds. Something about not soiling you or making you impure,” he explained. 

That earned him a look so incredulous he almost laughed, but the redheaded asshole guffawed loudly again, and any good humor he felt evaporated. 

“Too late for that,” the redhead gasped out, a wicked grin splitting his face. Trafalgar rolled his eyes, but gestured to Zoro in a manner that he assumed meant, _what the hell do I do then_? 

“We’ll carry you. Or one of your protectors could if you’d prefer,” he said, throwing the noisy one a dubious look. 

He snorted. “No can do. I’m an arm short, and Trafalgar’s too damn tall to be carrying one handed. Unless you don’t mind losing a foot or so off your legs,” he said, smirking at the omega. 

The masked one was so quiet and still in comparison, Zoro wasn’t sure if he’d even been paying attention to what was going on. But he must have been having some silent conversation with Trafalgar because next thing he knew, the alpha was stepping out of the boat with a couple of packs slung over his shoulders, as well as a large wooden box in his arms. 

“Come on, Kidd,” he said, tilting his head toward the remaining pack at the bottom of the boat and stepping over the side into the shallow water beside Zoro. There was a long moment he simply stood there staring at him- he may have worn a mask, but their proximity left little doubt in Zoro’s mind that it was what the other was doing. He straightened his spine from where he was still half crouched over Trafalgar, and it was only slightly annoying that even at his full height, he still had to look up at the other alpha. 

Whatever he found by staring at Zoro must have satisfied him however, because he simply nodded to him once before walking away to the rest of the welcoming party. 

The redhead- Kidd- gave Zoro a much less polite lookover before jumping into the water with a resounding splash that spattered him and the candidate with cold droplets. It was a mild nuisance to Zoro, but the jump had also been rough enough to rock the boat and therefore the omega in it as well. 

He teetered precariously before Zoro caught him around the waist with an arm, and as soon as he was stable, he glared venomously at his protector again. Kidd barked out another laugh, but it was cut off shortly by the arrival of the swans. 

In all the happenings, Zoro had quite forgotten about them and the grief they gave his group, but he was happy to see they were still there- if only because a trio of them ran over to peck at Kidd’s unsuspecting legs. 

“Ouch! Fucking feathered bastards- stop it!” he shouted, trying to kick at them as he splashed ashore. 

He had to hide his smile at the sight. 

“Kidd, don’t kick them. They dislike you enough already. And Law will be pissed if you hurt them,” the other protector said, sighing in exasperation. 

Wait a second. 

“Are these swans yours?” Nami asked, voicing the question that sprang to Zoro’s mind. She was looking at them with a lot more suspicion now that she thought they were domesticated. Behind her he could see Usopp’s horrified face, clearly imagining having to put up with their attacks in the future. 

Kidd huffed, sidestepping another peck. “They’re Law's. Or they might as well be,” he amended when he peeked back and saw the expression on the omega’s face. “They fucking follow him everywhere. He insists they’re not pets though.” He rolled his eyes at the last bit. Obviously, he had other opinions on the matter. 

Zoro didn’t know how to feel about this new information. While there were no rules against bringing pets with them to the mainland, he certainly hadn’t expected a troupe of swans to join them on their journey back to the castle. Said swans had also attacked his group, but he guessed that was also kind of Luffy’s fault. He hoped they weren’t normally as prone to violence as they had been so far. He didn’t want to have to ward off birds every day, or have nobles come crying to him to protect them from the blasted animals either. 

“Yo Marimo, how long are you going to stand there being useless? We’ve got a castle to get back to,” Sanji called. He and a few of the others were getting the masked man situated and explaining their travel arrangements. 

Zoro growled low in his throat but didn’t rise to the bait. Well, not much anyway. “Stupid ero-cook,” he grumbled, startling a small huff out of Trafalgar that he thought might be a laugh. Zoro felt some of the tension ease from the omega and glanced at him from the corner of his eye. 

“You okay with me carrying you then?” 

A slight nod was his only reply, and Zoro scooped him up carefully as he wound his arms around the alpha’s neck. He was a good few inches taller than Zoro, and he could see some muscle definition in the exposed skin of his torso through the loose shirt he wore, but he was surprisingly light. He could definitely stand to gain a few pounds. Maybe he’d ask the shitty cook about it. 

“You guys decide who else is riding in the carriage?” he asked as he approached the others. He hoped they had. He didn’t want to have to wait while they sorted themselves out. He wanted to go home and get this all over and done with. 

“Eustass here will be riding in the carriage with Trafalgar,” Robin said, pointing over at Kidd. He supposed Eustass was his surname then. Better refer to him by that then. Didn’t want to sound too familiar with the jerk. Even in his head. 

Zoro fought off the frown that threatened to take over his face. He hadn’t thought about it before, but now all he could think about was how he wished they’d chosen the other guy instead. Sure, the mask was kind of weird and sketchy, but at least he wasn’t a dick. Or if he was, he did a lot better at hiding it than his fellow protector. 

Trafalgar didn’t seem perturbed by this however. He simply huffed lightly and gestured for them all to get on with it. 

He wasn’t a very talkative sort. Zoro could appreciate that. 

Clearly he wasn’t the only one who took issue to arrangement though because Nami piped up, “Now how come you got to decide that all on your own? You barely let Usopp explain things before you blurted out that you’d be the one riding inside. Shouldn’t you talk it over with your fellow protector? Or your charge?” 

She had a look on her face like she was hoping one of the other two would argue with him about it and force him to ride outside on horseback. A few of them did actually. They must not have liked the way he treated Trafalgar either. 

Eustass glared at her, body going taut and scent ripening with anger. “I don’t have to. They agree with me,” he snarled. 

Zoro resisted the urge to get between them since he had his hands full at the moment, but he saw Franky and Sanji step closer to her in support. He was surprised Luffy wasn’t right there with them. He was usually the first to defend his friends from any untoward behavior, but Zoro didn’t see him anywhere. 

He didn’t see him anywhere. 

Oh no. 

“Where’s Luffy?” he asked. His voice cut straight through the tension, breaking everyone out of the would be fight as he turned this way and that to try and get a glimpse of the prince. 

“Shit- Luffy!” Sanji shouted as they all spread out to look for him. Zoro hastily deposited Trafalgar inside the carriage before joining them, although Chopper attached himself quickly to his side to keep him from getting lost. Then the group would be stuck looking for both of them. 

Trafalgar’s protectors took this all in stride, merely shrugging and organizing themselves. He glanced back to see Eustass hop inside the carriage alongside the omega while the other one checked Trafalgar’s temperature again. 

Zoro didn’t bother worrying about them after that, far more concerned with finding Luffy. Firstly because they were best friends, and he’d never forgive himself if something happened to the idiot while he wasn’t there. Secondly because Garp would never forgive them either. Or Ace and Sabo. If Luffy got hurt, they were going to murder him. 

Fortunately, Luffy didn’t stay missing for long. 

He came thundering out of the trees with some poor stunned creature slung across his shoulder. It looked like some sort of wild boar. 

“Sanji, look what I caught! We can eat it for lunch!” he said, scampering along without a care in the world, completely oblivious to the stress he’d put them through. 

“You idiot!” Sanji scolded him with a knock upside the head. “We’re not taking that with us! We don’t have time to be fooling around- we have to get back home!” 

Nami and Usopp were also berating him for wandering off alone. Ordinarily it wouldn’t be a big deal- they all knew him well enough that he could handle himself just fine for the most part. But today they had an actual deadline to meet. Today they had a responsibility to deliver one of his brother’s potential brides to him, and they were not to delay under any circumstances. 

Zoro let out a sigh of relief. “Alright, whatever, can we just get going?” he asked above their yelling. He jerked his head meaningfully in the direction of the carriage. 

“Oh is that Ace’s new friend? I wanna see!” Luffy exclaimed, springing away and hurtling toward the horses like his life depended on it. Calling Trafalgar Ace’s friend was… Well, it was a very Luffy thing to say. They’d tried to explain to him that they were picking up a potential spouse, and Luffy paid attention- he really did- but he knew full well that Ace didn’t intend on marrying anyone. So naturally he decided this meant that anyone coming was just going to become Ace’s friend instead. 

Although Zoro wasn’t so sure that would apply to Trafalgar. None of their new travel companions seemed the friendly type. 

Instead of ruminating over Luffy’s stubbornness to see everyone as a friend, he probably should have been trying to stop him from introducing himself without the others to keep him in line. 

He was so lost in thought, he almost missed it when Luffy practically threw himself into the carriage to meet the newcomers. 

Almost. It was difficult not to notice when Eustass was yelling expletives at the top of his lungs. 

Franky, who had been closest to the carriage, burst out into laughter. “Luffy, your energy is SUPER! But you probably shouldn’t jump at people like that before you get to know them! Now give them a little room, and tell them your name before Eustass skewers you, hmm?” he said, pulling him back by the scruff of his jacket. 

Luffy laughed too, as he always did, squirming out of the other’s grip to lean into the carriage again. “I’m Monkey D. Luffy! My brother Ace is the one you’re all here to meet! Let’s be friends too! Shishishi!” 

Well, so much for not telling the candidate about Luffy being a prince. On the bright side, Trafalgar didn’t seem to care either way- definitely wasn’t about to get a big head from being in the presence of royalty, if the way he pushed Luffy’s face unceremoniously away was any indication. 

It was probably time for Zoro to go over there and drag Luffy away before one of the protectors really did try to kill him. It would be treason to try, of course, but that certainly didn’t keep people from trying to at least knock his teeth out. Maybe things would be different if Garp wasn’t so… Garp. But the man was definitely one for tough love and getting beat up as a way of growing character. If someone actually tried to kill one of his grandsons, then they would be dead before the hour was out, but other than that… Well, it was what it was. 

“What’s your name?” Luffy asked, beaming up at them. 

The masked one managed to hop out of the carriage without dislodging Luffy from the door and replied gruffly, “Killer.” 

Some of the other’s faces made it clear that they didn’t appreciate the name, nor did they know if it was real or some joke, but whatever the case was, they did not like it. Well, most of them anyway. Luffy was ecstatic, and Usopp also had a pondering look on his face as if he trying to imagine a scenario where he could steal the name for himself. 

“Wow, that’s so cool!” Luffy exclaimed. Killer and his companions exchanged a look- probably wondering what was up with the weird kid in front of them. Trafalgar nudged Eustass with a foot and shot him a look, prompting the alpha to roll his eyes and grumble something under his breath. 

“I’m Eustass Kidd and this bastard over here is Trafalgar Law. He’s the one who got sent to tie the knot with your brother,” he said, putting an emphasis on the last word like he found it odd. 

Who knows. Maybe he was starting to expect Ace to be like Luffy. 

“Do you ever let him talk for himself?” Nami snapped, stalking up to the carriage. She hadn’t forgotten her dislike for the other alpha in all the hubbub searching for Luffy apparently. 

Eustass growled, lurching to his feet, but Trafalgar reached over with surprising swiftness and tugged him back down. It was Killer however, that answered. “Law can’t talk. He’s mute,” he said simply. A nod from the omega confirmed what he said. 

They stood there gaping at them for a moment, at a loss for words themselves. 

“Oh,” Nami said, blushing furiously. 

Luffy’s bright laughter broke through the tension. “That’s okay! I bet you’re a great listener! Hey, want to hear a funny story about my brothers?” he asked excitedly, as if nothing weird or embarrassing had happened at all. 

Nami snapped out of her stupor, and pinched his cheek hard. “There’s no time for stories! We need to be heading back! Get your butt on your horse, and let’s go!” she said, dragging him away. “I still think that red haired asshole shouldn’t be left in there with Trafalgar though,” she muttered under her breath. 

Luffy snickered as he pried her hand off his cheek. “Don’t be silly, Nami! That jaggy guy can’t ride- he’s probably never been on a horse, and he’s only got one hand!” 

His words almost stopped her in her tracks. She’d been so preoccupied with what a jerk that alpha was, she’d totally forgotten to consider how his disability would have affected his riding capabilities. It would be hard enough for a beginner to ride all the way to the palace, let alone one that was missing a hand. Now she felt doubly stupid. But at least she wasn’t the only one, judging by the guilty looks on the others’ faces. 

“Let’s just go,” she grumbled. 

* * *

Riding in the carriage was…weird. It was a lot bumpier than riding in a boat, that’s for sure. But it wasn’t awful. Well, okay, the three of them all suffered from what Robin called “land sickness” the entire first day, and that was awful. Turns out their bodies weren’t so jived to be on solid earth after years of sand and water. Law kind of wished Kidd would quit his bitching though. He hadn’t shut up about what bullshit this was since they got in. 

Privately, Law agreed with him. He certainly hadn’t volunteered to be uprooted from the island to go court some prince, and definitely not to be violently ill. 

Unfortunately, he’d been unanimously voted off the island. Not because the other islanders thought he was a good choice- in fact, he doubted they were thinking of the prince at all when they chose him. No, they were definitely getting rid of him. And Kidd and Killer by extension. They weren’t exactly a popular bunch back home. 

As soon as the decree for a selection went out, the rest of the island got together and plotted how to get rid of them once and for all. 

Law hated them for it, but he had to admit that it was also kind of relieving to be away from there. They were all equally terrified and furious that he lived there for the past five years. They thought he was going to murder them all. 

The idea did seem appealing from time to time when the more vocal of his opposition showed up to badmouth him. 

But there wasn’t much that he could do to convince them to give up their hatred of him, so he had just ignored them for the most part. He knew they were scared, and that’s why they regarded him with such vitriol, but that didn’t mean he had to pretend to like them for it. 

Getting sent away was almost a blessing. If not for the fact that it made his task so much harder. He reached over to curl a hand protectively around the chest Killer had placed on the beside him on the bench. He could hear the contents inside of it swishing around as the carriage ambled along and let it soothe his nerves. Somehow he was going to have to find more of them, but it was going to be tricky. The mainland was so much bigger than Swallow Island, and already he couldn’t even see the ocean any more. But he would find a way if it was the last thing he did. 

The view was lovely though. He’d never seen so much green in his life. The landscape was sprawling with hills and trees and villages peppered here and there. Swallow Island was home to barely three hundred people total, spread over their dinky, sparsely covered land- if you could really call it that. It was more of a loose conglomeration of sand strips that people had built their houses around than an actual island. It was more wood than sand at this point, and had been for the last two centuries. 

The mainland was far more beautiful. It was almost enough to distract him from the cramps that had been plaguing him since he woke that morning. 

But even more than just the physical beauty of the land was the magic that he could feel, permeating every nook and cranny. He could feel it whistling through the wind, fluttering with the heartbeat of every creature that skittered past, singing from the very earth itself. 

Back on Swallow Island, the only magic he ever felt came from the occasional sea creatures that swam by from farther reaches. Magic was rare. Worse, it was smothered. Like Law. 

It was why he was sent here. 

On the mainland though, it was like he finally got the chance to breathe. His particular kind of magic was still banned, and they’d lock him up if they caught wind of it, but being able to feel any kind of magic at all, outside his run down little house… It was wonderful. 

They made two short stops for meals, both of which Law had to put up with staying inside the cariage for, despite the fact he wanted nothing more than to sit down in the grass and run his hands through it. There was so much of it, he wanted to be able to feel it himself. 

But no. He wasn’t allowed to touch the ground until he was at the palace. Dumb rules. 

He could tell the man in charge of their escort felt bad about it. What was his name- Roronoa Zoro, that’s right. They hadn’t interacted much, but Law could tell that he wasn’t one for pomp and circumstances. Too bad he was still determined to follow the rules of tradition this time. 

He supposed it could be worse. Besides, there would probably be plenty of grass for him to run his hands through when he got to the palace. As long as there were no rules against that. And the group seemed friendly enough- to him anyways. They definitely didn’t like Kidd, and they had mixed reactions to Killer. Except for the odd prince that bounced around them like they were about to become best friends. 

He was certainly an excitable little thing. He reminded him a lot of Lami actually. 

But he had to admit, it was kind of nice to be around someone that wasn’t afraid of him. And Luffy seemed more than willing to indulge in Law’s curiosity. 

Despite the fact that Law did his best not to gawk at how different things were here, it must have still been obvious to the mainlanders. Luffy would ride up alongside the carriage from time to time to drop things in the window. A handful of leaves, a pine bough, wildflowers he found growing along their path. Law tried not to preen at the indulgence. He was used to people holding him at an arm’s length, and he typically preferred it that way. He wasn’t exactly a sociable person, even before he lost his voice. But it was kind of nice to have someone trying to do nice things for him, for no reason other than that he was curious. 

He could do without the dumb nickname though. 

He really hadn’t seen much of….anything on Swallow Island. Even before he moved there, his home hadn’t been anything like this. Flevance had been beautiful in its own way, but it had been a world painted in shades of white. He had a few books that explained the medical uses of certain plants and the like, but seeing them drawn on paper was nothing like holding them in his hands. 

Hell, he hadn’t even seen a horse before coming ashore. He liked them well enough though, even if he couldn’t imagine riding on one like they were making Killer. Sometimes after he was done examining the things Luffy gave him he would hold them out to the prince’s horse to munch on. Sunny didn’t seem to be a picky eater. 

The trip was practically a dream come true, if not for the fact that he was being offered to Luffy’s brother like some sort of prize. 

They stopped at an inn for the night- evidently the mainland was so vast that it would actually take three more days before they reached the castle. Law tried to reign in his disappointment when he realized that meant he was going to have to spend three more days in the carriage. 

At least he didn’t have to sleep in it. He did have to put up with being carried to and fro, however. There was some arguing between the escort party about what whether or not the inn’s floor constituted as solid ground or if the rules were specifically talking about the natural earth. Law voted for the latter option. He’d really prefer walking than having to rely on others to carry him. Unfortunately, the escort party decided to err on the side of caution, so he had to be carried. Yippee. 

The beds were nice though. Springy. He’d never slept on an actual mattress before. He was used to sleeping in simple cots or in nests of blankets on the floor. Kidd and Killer were having a similar experience, and he held back a smile at the way Kidd was clearly resisting the urge to jump on and off the bed just because he could. 

The following days passed much the same, and he was starting to grow bored of the landscape when they finally arrived at their final destination. 

Even if he were able to speak, he would have been speechless at the sight of the castle. 

It was carved straight out of the mountain side, a towering marvel all of its own. It rose thousands of feet in the air, and he couldn’t even see the tops for the clouds that blanketed them. 

“Welcome to your new home!” Brook called out cheerfully through the window. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO'S HERE FOR MORE ANGST
> 
> As if there could be any question. I've kind of been cobbling this first bit together in between other fics when I hit a brick wall with them, so it ended up, uh, super long lol. I split it into two chapters because I decided that I didn't want to lob it out there as one like 12k chapter cuz that would just set a precedent idk if I can keep up with hahahahaha. 
> 
> We're really hopping aboard the angst train with this one, so buckle up sugarbuns. I've wanted to write a six swans fic for ages, but I was like "no, you have to focus on finishing other fics before you start another one" And I completed FOUR of them, so I'm treating myself lmao. Also a couple months ago I read Crown of Coral and Pearl, and I really dug it, so this is sort of fused with it lol. Which has made it....interesting to fit things together lol. 
> 
> And it's abo because...i like abo lol. I really don't have a good excuse for this one. I was just like fuck it let's do it. I will say though that my reasons for liking abo has a LOT less to do with smut (sorry if you were hoping for that, it's not happening in this fic) and more to do with the exploration of gender dynamics particularly in the media landscape we live in where it's dominated by cismen. So if you were thinking this was going to be smutty, I must apologize, but it's definitely not something you're going to find from my work. I'm really not comfortable with writing that lol. Best of luck elsewhere.


	2. One Step Closer

Law’s eyes darted incredulously between Zoro and the impossible staircase that wound up the mountain side. There was no doubt in his mind that magic was used to construct the castle and that ridiculous array of stairs. Zoro, to his credit, merely scratched the back of his head and said apologetically, “It’s probably best if one of us carries you up. Technically speaking, you’re not allowed to step foot on the ground until you’re actually inside the castle. And no offense to your protectors, but climbing up the stairs is pretty brutal when you’re not used to doing it often.” 

“It’s plenty brutal for most of us who have to do it often anyway,” Usopp whined, pouting at the sight of the stairs carved into the mountain face. 

Nami shared a look of exasperation with him. “Yeah, not all of us are insane like you and Luffy, running up and down those things like it’s great exercise.” 

“It’s fun!” Luffy exclaimed with a blinding smile. 

“It is good exercise,” Zoro grumbled. He shut his mouth when Nami swiveled around to glare at him. 

This was the only time in his whole journey that Law thought he was grateful for the stupid rule about not being able to touch solid ground. There was no way in fuck he was going to climb all those stairs himself. Not that he was particularly fond of the idea of someone else having to carry him up all those, but he would probably die if he tried to do it himself. 

He gave Kidd and Killer each a consoling pat on the shoulder for the way their legs were going to be killing them. 

Kidd shrugged his hand off and spat to the side. “Can’t believe we got sent for this bullshit. Shut up, Law,” he said, giving him the finger when he saw Law’s smirk. 

He pantomimed sewing his lips shut and let Kidd storm off to kick a rock. Killer just shook his head at them and started gathering their belongings. Law’s lips pinched into a frown when he realized that Killer was going to have to carry the chest up the mountain. It wasn’t exactly light, and if it were anything else he would have insisted that one of the escorts carry it up, since at least some of them were more suited to the task. But the chest was too important, and they both knew that Law wouldn’t trust it in anyone else’s hands. 

“We’ll be fine,” Killer said, sensing his concern. 

If he could talk, he would have told him that this was all ridiculous, but if he could do that, then they wouldn’t even be in this mess. 

Behind their party, wailing broke out. 

The group turned to see what the commotion was about and saw three more bands of escorts arriving with their charges. It was pretty obvious where the candidates were, seeing as they were traveling in carriages like Law. It became even clearer when their protectors stepped out and the candidates had to wait patiently for someone to pick them up. 

Two of them seemed fine, if a bit skeptical at the sight of the stairs. The third one was responsible for all the wailing. 

“I cannot climb up those! What a monstrosity! Who do they think they are that they think they can order me to go up all those godforsaken stairs!” he howled, stomping his feet and making his carriage rock beneath his rotund form. His escorts all tried in vain to get him to calm down, attempting to explain that he didn’t have to walk up the steps himself. 

“What a fucking idiot,” Zoro muttered, making Law snort. Even the good natured and professional Robin was rolling her eyes at the display. 

Things reached a head when the candidate kicked one of his escorts in the face, screaming about how incompetent they all were. The next thing Law knew, Luffy was running over and yelling at him to knock it off before he punched his lights out. 

Zoro sighed heavily, leaning his face into the side of the carriage and shaking his head while Sanji and Franky ran over to go collect him. It may have only been a few days since they met, but Law knew by now that this was a regular occurrence for the group. No one had confirmed it, but he suspected that his escort group would only be half its size if Luffy hadn’t been involved. 

“How dare you talk to me so disrespectfully!” the candidate screeched, face growing bright red. 

His escorts began losing their damn minds for a whole new reason. “Saint Charlos! That’s Prince Luffy!” they gasped scandalized. 

At their words the candidate- Saint Charlos- finally stopped his tantrum. “Ah, the prince!” he said, sniffing disdainfully. “I see- you’ve come to personally welcome me to the castle. Very well then, I suppose I can forgive this. I take it you’ll be taking me up to the castle then?” 

“What?! I’m not carrying you! You’re a jerk!” Luffy shouted, wiping the smug look straight off the bastard’s face. Law hid a smile behind his hand, but it disappeared with the prince’s next words. “I’ll carry Torao instead! He’s way nicer than you! And I’m gonna tell Ace to pick him instead!” he said, running back to Law’s carriage and leaving everyone else in shock. 

“Torao, let’s go!” he said, reaching up to wrap his arms around Law’s waist. 

Law braced his arms against the doorway and shook his head vigorously. 

Oh no, he was not going to be a part of this. It was funny to watch Luffy piss off a spoiled brat, but Law wasn’t about to get dragged into some sort of feud. Although he sort of had, just from Luffy’s words alone. He could tell that the other candidates were already calculating what to do with the prince’s favoritism, despite the fact that they knew nothing about Law, much less that he didn’t even want to marry Luffy’s brother. He didn’t need to make it worse by allowing Luffy to carry him all the fucking way up to the palace. He hadn’t wanted any attention drawn to him whatsoever, and here the little idiot had to go and ruin it. 

When Luffy continued to try and pull him out, Law managed to shove a knee between them and shove him in the chest to get him to let go. If he had his voice he’d tell him to get the hell off, but that wasn’t really an option. 

“Quit fighting!” Luffy huffed, reaching out again. 

Zoro pulled him back before Law could kick him again. “Luffy, calm down. How about you carry Usopp or Nami instead, huh? I’ll take Trafalgar,” he said gruffly. 

Luffy frowned at Law one last time but followed Zoro’s suggestion and grabbed Usopp before he could say anything, sprinting towards the stairs while Usopp cursed Zoro out for not warning him. 

“You’re lucky he chose Usopp instead, or I would have killed you for encouraging him to carry me up the mountain like that,” Nami said, sidling up to the carriage. She eyed Luffy and Usopp as the latter flopped around over the other’s shoulder as he ran up the stairs. Law winced, silently agreeing. 

Zoro pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, well, I had to get him to stop somehow.” He sighed, then turned back to Law. “Ready?” 

He glanced at the other candidates, all of whom seemed to be sizing him up still. Saint Charlos was as red as ever, but there was a calculating gleam in his eye that Law didn’t like. No doubt that man was going to try and get back at Law somehow for this. Even though it wasn’t even his fault. 

Law bit back a sigh of his own and nodded. 

* * *

If he was slightly less nice of a person, Zoro would have found it funny to watch the newcomers struggle up the mountain. They were three quarters of the way up, at the final resting platform available, and almost all of the protectors were doubled over, panting for breath. Some of them did so with a little more dignity than others. 

Killer sat with his feet dangling over the edge of the platform, unperturbed by the sheer drop. He kept the wooden chest behind him, but Zoro knew he was still keeping a close watch on it. Whatever was in there, it must have been important. He’d refused to let anyone else carry it for him, even when it was clear that he was tiring. As for Kidd, the rude asshole plopped himself right next to his friend and immediately began cursing the stupid mountain air. Nonetheless, although he was a little winded, he still fared better than some of the other protectors. 

The protectors from Zou and Mystoria were all huddled close to their charges near the other side of the platform that wouldn’t result in a deadly fall if they leaned over. Their candidates talked quietly with them whlie they rested in their palanquins. 

Zoro hadn’t bothered with bringing a palanquin when he left to fetch Law. He hadn’t thought it necessary, but he wondered briefly if Law would have preferred having one. Then he realized that he was being stupid, and Law would have found the whole thing as unnecessary as he did. He may not have cared to be carried everywhere, but he definitely didn’t like being treated like a delicate valuable thing either. 

Having Zoro stand there and hold him while everyone else caught their breath was kind of annoying though. He could tell that Law would rather go sit with his protectors by the edge, but Nami said that it counted as touching solid ground. 

At least in the palanquin, he could have sat down. 

Zoro thought she was being kind of strict about something that none of their party cared for, but since they were back with other escorts he held his tongue. Being so close to the prince, they were supposed to set good examples for the others. Or so Garp said. 

Law shifted restlessly in his arms, peering at something over his shoulder. 

Zoro turned his head just in time to see the candidate from Mary Geoise whip his head away as if he hadn’t been glaring daggers at Law. Now, there was someone he could happily go the rest of his life without seeing again. 

What was galling to see was that his protectors were sitting in the palanquin with him, as if they couldn’t be bothered to try walking up the stairs themselves. Zoro really didn’t blame the islanders for being daunted by the climb, he really didn’t, but he still thought they ought to try. Or at least be grateful to the escorts for carrying them. As it was, Saint Charlos and his protectors continued to sneer at their escorts like they were less than the dirt they refused to walk on. 

He wished Sanji and Franky had let Luffy punch that jerk. It’s not like the candidate would be able to do anything to Luffy for it. Maybe then he’d be so offended that he’d refuse to continue with the selection. It was little more than a fantasy, but he’d hold it close to his heart whenever the brat got on his nerves. 

Unfortunately, while Saint Charlos couldn’t do anything about Luffy, he was undoubtedly willing to hold a grudge against Law for what Luffy had done. He probably figured that Law made a much easier target. Which he did. 

Luffy was a prince. Law was a nobody from Swallow Island. No offense to Law. 

He’d have to keep an eye on the representatives from Mary Geoise. He thought Kidd and Killer were people to watch out for, but at least they seemed like straightforward people. The ones from Mary Geoise were the scheming kind, and he disliked those much more. They were a lot harder to deal with. 

“Boy, you guys are taking forever!” Luffy’s voice rang out over the hushed conversations on the platform. He must have gotten bored waiting for them at the castle and come down to meet them. 

Zoro turned back around to watch his friend come bounding down the stairs. “Yeah, well, we can’t all run the entire staircase at once like you,” he joked. Zoro could, but he didn’t think Law would appreciate it much. Besides, he was supposed to stick with the others. 

Luffy skidded to a stop beside them, all sunshine and roses again as if he hadn’t gone running up the mountain in a huff. 

“I still think you should have let me carry you, Torao,” he said matter of factly. “But don’t worry! I told Ace and Sabo all about you, and they’re both excited to meet you!” he said cheerily as if it would please Law. 

It did not. The omega sighed in annoyance and let his head drop to Zoro’s shoulder while he massaged his temples with one hand. 

Zoro knew Luffy meant well, but he was making it a lot harder on Law. He could see the other candidates watching their every move, clearly trying to decide how they ought to treat Law in the future. Either they thought getting close to him would improve their own chances or they saw him as another obstacle in their path. 

Luffy didn’t notice. “Zoro, I’ll race you to the top!” he said, a sparkle in his eye. 

“You absolutely will not!” Nami shouted. She stomped up behind him and grabbed him by the ear, shaking him angrily. “Do you know how much fucking trouble we would be in if your grandfather found out?! And what if Law got hurt? Don’t say it would never happen- need I remind you of the time you tripped and broke your arm in three places last winter?” she said, glaring at Zoro. Which was totally unfair. It was icy, and he had a cold. Neither of which applied to right now. 

Luffy laughed as if he found the whole thing hilarious, plucking her hand from his ear. “Fine, fine. We can walk, but let’s go!” 

Everyone else on the platform looked like they still wanted to rest a little longer, but Zoro was getting bored. “Well?” he asked Law, who merely shrugged. It’s not like he needed resting. Besides, when they got to the top, maybe he’d finally be able to stand on his own. 

Robin walked up and put a hand on Luffy’s shoulder. “We’ll let you guys get started. The rest of us won’t be far behind,” she said tactfully, well aware that the rest of the groups would likely wait for at least another ten minutes before moving. The only ones who looked interested in joining them were Sanji and Law’s protectors. 

“Great! Let’s go!” Luffy said, pushing Zoro towards the last round of steps. 

They may not have gone as slow as acceptable when they were out of Nami’s sight. But hey, what she didn’t know, she wouldn’t hurt them for. And Zoro totally won the race, no matter what Sanji said. 

* * *

“Sorry,” Zoro apologized for the umteenth time since they reached their destination. 

Law obviously didn’t reply, too busy trying to keep the walls from spinning and losing his lunch on the castle floor. He’d been nauseous enough as it was with his heat, and their little sprint up the last stretch of stairs didn’t help. He was grateful to be on a bench and not in the other’s arms, but he couldn’t fully appreciate it yet. Reckless idiots. He really should have paid more attention to Nami’s warnings. To think they actually had a race up the last chunk of the mountain- fucking unreal. 

Don’t even get him going on the one moment Sanji had shoved Zoro with his shoulder as the other tried to pass him on the narrow walkway. The only thing that kept them from careening over the edge into open air was Kidd, who had barely reached them in time as he and Killer pounded up the steps behind them. He swore his heart had jumped straight into his throat. The absolute worst. He took back every single charitable thought he’d ever had about Zoro- he was clearly insane. 

Kidd was heaving for breath beside him, mumbling expletives every now and then. He’d probably try to kill the mainlanders for making him run up the steps like that if he weren’t so out of breath. Even Killer was hunched over them protectively. 

When he finally got his head to stop reeling, he glared at Zoro. At least he looked a little repentant. 

“Here, I brought you some mint tea. That should help with the nausea,” Sanji said, appearing at his side with a steaming mug. Law took it with thanks, although he hadn’t forgiven the blond for the stunt he pulled on the stairs either. 

Killer handed him the small bag of powder he ground from a special coral that helped suppress the worst side effects of his heats. He took a couple pinches and mixed it into his tea, sipping at it tentatively while he eyed their surroundings. 

He wasn’t exactly sure what he expected the castle to look like. His siblings had always dreamed of coming here, and had spent many a night chattering excitedly as they imagined what it would look like. Being from small islands, none of them had actually been to the mainland before. None of their ruminations had ever pictured it being a part of the mountain- or even near a mountain at all. They barely knew what mountains were. It was something else, that was for sure. 

He’d been relieved to hear that all six swans had made it safely to the castle. They’d never had reason to fly so high before, and he was worried that some of them wouldn’t be able to make it on their own, but they did alright. They were a little tired, but they had plenty of energy to heckle Zoro, Luffy, and Sanji when they came barreling up to the palace gates with Law looking worse for wear. 

Lami rested her head on his thigh and looked up at him imploringly. He stroked her head gently with the back of his fingers, smiling a little as she closed her eyes and sighed. 

Bepo, Penguin, and Shachi were all pacing around him defensively, eyeing anyone that came too close. Sugar and Monet were taking a nap by his feet on the marble floors. 

According to Nami and Robin, the entrance hallway on this side of the mountain was alright, but the real beauty of the palace lay farther in. He was sure they would love to point out the best sights to see as soon as they arrived with everyone else. In retrospect, it would have been safer- if more boring- to wait with the rest of the group. 

“Ace and Sabo can’t make it right now because they’re busy,” Luffy said, popping up out of seemingly nowhere. “I guess Ace has to wait to meet everyone at once anyway, but it’s too bad that Sabo’s busy. Come on, Torao- let’s go to the gardens! I’ll bet you’ll like those!” he chirped, taking Law by the hand and hauling him to his feet. 

Law’s stomach gave an unpleasant lurch, and he swayed unsteadily as his siblings waddled away to avoid getting stepped on. 

“Uh, Luffy, I’m not sure that’s such a good idea right now,” Sanji said, eyeing Law’s pale complexion uncertainly. 

The prince was about to argue with him about it, but before he could do more than open his mouth, a loud voice boomed across the wide hallway, “Luffy, you irresponsible little runt- WHO SAID YOU COULD GO AS PART OF THE ESCORT?” 

Monkey D. Garp, the regent of Goa Kingdom, was an imposing man with a voice that seemed to fill the whole mountain. His large frame towered over them as he glowered down at his grandson- who wasn’t repentant in the slightest. 

“You never said I couldn’t go!” was his only explanation. 

“YOU NEVER EVEN ASKED! Your brother and I have been taking care of all the candidates coming in while you went galivanting off to the coast! You’re getting cleaned up and made presentable for them tonight, even if I have to tie you to your damn chair!” 

And just like that, he went storming off with Luffy squirming in his iron grip, complaining all the while. 

Sanji scratched his head. “So uh, that’s Garp. Anyway, how about we get you settled in. Your rooms are this way-” 

“SANJI WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!” 

“Aw, shit,” he groaned as a large muscular man came barreling down the hall towards them, brandishing a knife. He didn’t seem perturbed that the other man was waving a sharp knife through the air and spewing obscenities at him. 

He waved half heartedly at Law and company while he walked leisurely away, letting the other man rail at him as they made their way back to the kitchens. Law heard the stranger say something about how he had to hear about Sanji being back after he went to the kitchen to get some tea before immediately disappearing again. 

Zoro grunted, peering back at the gates to see if anyone else was going to walk through anytime soon. At the pace they went up the last stretch, it seemed unlikely that there would be. “Guess I’ll take you to your rooms then,” he said nonchalantly. 

The three islanders shook off the other two’s abrupt departures and followed his lead. 

If only they had remembered how horrible Zoro’s sense of direction was. 

* * *

Nearly an hour later they were finally directed to their rooms by a furious Nami who had found them wandering around in the completely wrong section of the castle. 

After that they were allowed to unpack and quickly get ready for the reception that was being held to introduce Ace to the candidates. Apparently, they were part of the last outsiders to arrive at the castle- and they were definitely the last ones to make it to their rooms. 

The three of them barely knew what to do when Nami shoved them into their adjoining rooms. She quickly explained that the smaller one was for the protectors and then scampered off to go get ready herself. 

The protectors’ room was little more than a closet with a small bathroom and barely enough room for two medium sized cots. It was about half the size of their one room home back on Swallow Island, but it could have been worse. The candidate’s room however, was a different story. 

It was easily three times the size of their house, and that wasn’t even including the bathroom that connected to it. The massive bed was large enough that it could probably fit five people on it comfortably, and it was placed so that it lay halfway in an alcove, painted with little stars on the ceiling. There were curtains tied off to the sides that he could use as a canopy if he wished. It was piled with pillows and blankets, all in soft shades of blue. 

The bathroom was another wonder. It was almost as big as his room, and had a bathtub built straight into the floor that was so big all three of them could probably lie in it at the same time. There were knobs on it that sent water flowing into it, that could make the water come out as hot or cold as they pleased too. It was stocked with dozens of bottles full of shimmering liquids and salts and dried flowers. 

They unanimously agreed to all share Law’s room. After all, there was more than enough space, and it’s not like Law needed it all to himself. 

Nami had said there was less than an hour before the reception started, and she’d send someone to collect them when it was time. She’d also taken a long look at them and said she was going to send one of the royal tailors in to bring them something acceptable to wear. He would have bristled at the idea that they needed to present themselves as more than what Swallow Island could provide, but she was right. It was probably not the best to show up in their worn out clothes. 

He didn’t particularly care about appearances, but he figured that looking presentable to everyone else would give the other candidates one less reason to hate him. 

They washed up quickly, although it was hard not to get distracted by the grandeur around them. Killer waited patiently for his turn, saying that someone ought to be ready to let the royal tailor in when they showed up. And sure enough, when the tailor came knocking, he was the only one prepared to greet them. Law and Kidd were busy trying to wash the suds that Kidd had so carelessly gotten into his eyes. 

The tailor introduced himself as Merry and, to his credit, only balked a little when Killer greeted him at the door. 

He looked up and down at Killer’s much larger frame, scribbled down some notes, and asked if he could take their measurements. Killer did so without protest, and neither did Law once he came plodding out of the bathroom in one of the bathrobes provided. Kidd however, snarled at the man and only let him come close enough to estimate his measurements with eyes alone. He went scampering off after that, not wanting to test his luck. 

Usopp came to their room a short while after with a pile of clothes in his hands and a trio of kids following in his wake with similar loads. Killer was washing up, so Kidd was the one to open the door. The kids hid behind Usopp as soon as Kidd flung open the door, but they peeked around him when Kidd didn’t immediately murder them on the spot. 

They looked surprised to see the flock of swans lounging on the bed with Law, but curious all the same. 

And there was absolute adoration on their faces as they watched Usopp talk to Kidd without trembling. The guy puffed a bit at their attention, and Law got the distinct feeling that he was something of a role model to them. 

“We’ll just wait in the hallway for you guys, and then we’ll all go to the banquet together, alright?” he said, directing them to place their piles on the floor next to Kidd’s feet. The trio behind him squawked quietly at that, but put on brave faces. 

Kidd just rolled his eyes and shut the door in their faces. 

For having so little time to prepare, Merry sure did a good job at making their outfits. They were exquisitely made, and perfectly tailored to them. Despite his unassuming look, he must have honed his magical abilities to suit his needs as a tailor. There was no way he could have made their clothes without some magic up his sleeve, and the little reminder that there were others like Law around with supernatural abilities made him the slightest bit more at ease. 

Even if he couldn’t let anyone see him use his own abilities. 

The clothes were admittedly more effort to put on than they were used to- so many layers. But he supposed they needed them. It was an awful lot colder up there on the mainland than it was on their little island. The thicker material held in heat a lot better than the thin stuff they wore back home. Of course, back home you didn’t want to hold in heat. You wanted to let it out so you wouldn’t get heat stroke. 

Kidd and Killer’s outfits were mainly black, although the first got a wine red cloak, and the second, one in indigo. Everything else from double breasted jackets to trousers to boots were in black. Although Kidd took the liberty of cutting off his left sleeve to make it easier to attach his cuff to his arm. 

Law’s outfit on the other hand, consisted of cream colored pants, and a periwinkle tunic that crossed his chest in a V with a connecting cape that was embroidered with golden thread of shooting stars that trailed all the way to the floor. There was a matching sash of white gold that they tied around his waist. Even his slippers fit perfectly, made of supple leather that had been dyed to a similar light blue. Merry had even provided a strip of golden ribbon to replace the ragged gray one he kept tied around his throat and white gloves to cover his bandaged hands. 

The swans honked approvingly at the ensemble, waddling around to admire him. 

It was an almost unnervingly nice outfit. He couldn’t help but feel it was somewhat wasted on him, seeing as he had no intentions whatsoever of marrying Luffy’s brother. 

Oh well, at least the other candidates wouldn’t get to sneer at him for dressing poorly. 

* * *

He probably should have anticipated the way people stared at them when they entered the ballroom. Due to Zoro’s marvelous directional skills and everything that followed, they were the last to arrive. Which would have been fine, but apparently everyone else had taken the extra time to spread the word of Luffy’s preference for him. 

He wanted to punch that loud mouthed idiot so bad. 

Usopp led them over to Zoro and Sanji, who were already at each other’s throats for some reason or another. They abruptly cut off their bickering when Law’s little group walked up, blinking at them as if they weren’t quite sure what they were seeing before promptly going back to their usual selves. 

“Huh. Maybe the other candidates should be worried about you after all,” Zoro said gruffly before Sanji smacked him in the back of the head with his leg. 

“Moss-head, that’s no way to talk to him! Don’t you know how to give people real compliments?” the blond snorted, holding out a tray of bite-sized delicacies. “Care for an hors d’oeuvres? They’re squares of pastry with a fig jam and stilton. There’s also plenty of other options around, but I must warn you that most of them involve bread,” he said conspiratorially. The cook had learned early on that bread was the one food that Law flat out refused to eat. 

Law plucked one off the tray, ignoring Zoro’s grumbled protests that yes, of course he knew how to compliment people, stupid ero-cook. He took a small bite, all too conscious of the finery he wore, and how annoying it would be to get crumbs on it. 

It was, not surprisingly, good. Sanji had yet to feed him anything remotely inedible in their time together. He raised his brows at him and gestured vaguely at him with the remains of his pastry. 

“Nah, can’t take credit for these ones. The shitty geezer prepped these himself. I think he wanted to make sure he’d have a hand in feeding you something after he heard how much Luffy likes you,” Sanji said flippantly. The reminder of how his entire reputation at the castle seemed to revolve around the youngest prince made him grimace. The idea that he had any sort of reputation at all was bad enough. His greatest wish had been to be forgettable, but that obviously went out the window at the foot of the mountain. 

The shitty geezer to Law’s understanding, was the head cook and Sanji’s adoptive father. A pirate turned chef believe it or not. He’d taken Sanji in after they got stranded at sea together, and taken up cooking for work after he cut off his own leg to survive. 

Law wasn’t quite sure he wanted to be in the eyesight of someone with such an intimidating past, but what could he do? Convince Kidd to find Zeff and tell him thanks but no thanks for the attention on his behalf? Yeah, that would go great. 

He elected to ignore the issue for the moment, taking in the room at large. 

Robin and Nami were right- the entrance hall was nothing compared to the ballroom. It wasn’t even the only ballroom they had, for fuck’s sake. According to Sanji this one had been a favorite of Garp’s late wife, and they’d chosen it to honor her memory and the last selection where she’d been picked to become his queen. 

The room was spacious and grand, the walls and floor covered in pink streaked marble. The ceiling was coated in frescoes of sunny blue skies, with painted clouds and white winged birds enchanted to drift across it. Peach colored drift rose bushes grew on the edges of the walls, as if they were hedges planted to keep them on path in a garden and not walled in by rock. And in the center of the room stood a massive fountain of crystalline water that cascaded down a series of silvery white steps and into a basin that was large enough for a child to swim in. Above it was a chandelier of pale pink and white flowers that hung so close to the top of the fountain they nearly dipped into the water. White light twinkled in and out between the blossoms, and Law found himself drifting closer unconsciously. 

He should have brought his brothers and sisters with him. They would have been over the moon. But bringing a flock of swans with him to the reception hadn’t exactly seemed like something the regent would have approved of. 

Garp himself hadn’t arrived yet, seeing as he and the crown prince weren’t supposed to show up until everyone had a chance to mingle for a bit. Law imagined they had to make a grand entrance and all that. 

Luffy on the other hand, didn’t seem to be beholden to such rules. 

“Torao, you look great!” he said, popping up beside him and immediately shoving handfuls of hors d’oeuvres into his mouth. He obviously didn’t have the same concern for his finery as Law. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other newcomers whispering and pointing at the young prince, shocked at his lack of decorum. 

Law simply rolled his eyes and went back to observing the fountain. The journey to the castle had been scenic, but there had been very little water to look at. It was somewhat unnerving to him, having grown up surrounded by the ocean his whole life. On the mainland it was the opposite. There had been small rivers the others had used to refill their waterskins, but other than that it was land everywhere- all rocks and grass and trees and dirt. 

Obviously the fountain was as different from the ocean as a pebble to a mountain, but seeing running water in front of him was still soothing. 

A white flower fell free from the chandelier as if someone unseen plucked it from the hanging branches and dropped it there for him. He watched as it drifted closer, carefully scooping it out of the water to hold it in his hands. It looked vaguely familiar- he’d probably seen it in one of his old books. 

The smell reminded him of something- or rather someone. It was the exact same scent he’d always associated with Monet, although he’d never had anything to compare it to before. To him it was just Monet’s scent and nothing else. Now he realized his sister’s natural scent was of this particular flower. Or it was back when she was human. He’d have to bring it back to the room and show her. He knew for a fact that she’d never seen or smelt one of these before. 

He turned around to Sanji and Zoro, holding it up in askance. Fortunately for him, it wasn’t difficult for them to figure out what he was asking. 

Zoro was unhelpful in the classification of any plant life whatsoever, much less flowers, but Sanji had no issue identifying it for him. “It’s a gardenia,” he said. “Pretty, isn’t it? And they smell great too.” 

He nodded his head absentmindedly, lost in his own thoughts of what his siblings would think when they saw it. The others continued talking behind him about scents and the like, but he wasn’t really paying attention to the conversation. He was so preoccupied, he almost missed it when Luffy’s famliy made their entrance. 

Five things happened very quickly after that. 

First, he turned his head to watch Garp waltz in with Luffy’s brothers in tow. 

Second, he heard Sanji make some sort of remark about smell determining how things tasted, and how he could really only make sure things smelled delicious if he tasted them as well. 

The third was Luffy loudly declaring that he’d prove it- what he was proving, Law had no idea. Only that the other was determined to do so. If he’d been paying attention to the conversation, he would have known exactly what Luffy was talking about, and might have prevented what happened next. But he hadn’t, so he didn’t realize that the delicious smelling thing Luffy was talking about was a person. Himself, namely. 

Fourth, he found himself being tugged backward slightly so Luffy could get as up close and personal as possible. By licking right over the scent gland on his neck. 

Fifth and finally- and one must understand that in the split second decision between fight or flight, Law’s instinct was usually fight- the regent, the crown prince, the second prince, and virtually everyone in the ballroom turned just in time to watch Law hurl Luffy over his shoulder and into the fountain. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell that I have a) a thing for law in sky themed clothing, b) a thing for giant beds, and c) a thing for giant bathtubs??? My parents have a bigass bathtub that could easily fit two people in it and has _jets_ and they use it for STORAGE. It is an absolute outrage. The world is so unfair sometimes smh. 
> 
> you know, despite the length of this initial posting, I still somehow did not manage to write the scene I was planning to, so I guess I have to wait til next time for that lol. Hopefully it will be closer to like....three months instead of six....HOPEFULLY. I'll try really hard lol. 
> 
> In the meantime, stay safe out there buckos, it's a real shit show we're in rn


	3. Meetings and Meetings

It probably shouldn’t have come as a surprise that Luffy did something stupid at an important event. Honestly, they should have expected it. It was basically guaranteed. Zoro just hadn’t expected it to be _that_. 

Leave it to Luffy to cause a commotion right as his brothers showed up at just the wrong moment for them to assume that their precious little brother was being attacked for no reason. 

Ignoring the rest of their numerous guests, Ace and Sabo sprinted up to the fountain to help Zoro haul the troublemaker out. He was fine of course. Luffy was whining loudly about how he- meaning Law- hadn’t needed to do that. He had a big pout on his face as if he couldn’t understand why the omega had done such a thing. Which, knowing Luffy, he probably _didn’t_ understand. 

Zoro was hardly an expert on manners, but he still knew you didn’t just _lick_ people without asking. Especially if they were an omega, and you were an alpha. Seriously, Luffy was his best friend, but the kid really needed to get his head on straight sometimes. 

Law looked damn near ready to tackle him for the stunt, but he only took one menacing step before Killer got his arms around him and sandwiched Law between him and Eustass, effectively blocking him from the prince. 

Sabo was busy asking Luffy if he was alright, but Ace was glaring daggers at Law and demanding that he apologize. Zoro didn’t think he was imagining the smug looks on some of the other candidates when they realized the crown prince was yelling at the candidate that they’d had the most cause to worry about up to that point. Maybe if Law was lucky they’d all assume that Ace hated him and leave him alone. Not that Zoro wanted Ace to actually hate Law, but he was starting to feel pretty bad for the guy. 

“It’s really not Trafalgar’s fault,” Sanji cut in across Ace’s tirade. “He only threw Luffy in the fountain after your brother licked his neck-” 

“You said I had to prove that he smelled good!” 

“I didn’t mean you should lick the poor bastard! For fuck’s sake, Luffy, I was kidding!” He threw his free arm up in exasperation- the other was still carefully balancing his tray of delicacies. He threw an apologetic look over his shoulder at Law. 

“Shouldn’t have goaded him on, Shitty-cook,” Zoro grumbled and then dodged the kick that Sanji aimed at him. 

* * *

“Hey, watch it, Black Leg!” Ace snapped, finally dragging his little brother out of the water and dropping him onto the floor, where he created a sizeable puddle on the pink marble. The crown prince looked distinctly put off, scowling as he shook out some of the water off his pant legs. Ace hated dressing up, and it wasn’t improved by taking a walk through the fountain no matter how pretty it was. 

Sabo had a little more tact than his brothers, well aware of the scene they were making at the welcoming reception. The royal family wasn’t exactly making the most dignified impression at the moment, but there was little to be done about it now. “Lu, did you really _lick_ him?” he sighed. 

Luffy continued to pout. “Yeah, but I don’t see what the big deal is.” 

“Oh for- you can’t just lick people!” Ace knocked him on the head with his fist. 

Sabo closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath to remain composed. “Okay, we’ll have to talk more about this later. Right now, we’re supposed to be mingling with people and meeting the new candidates,” he said, glancing briefly at Law. 

The expression on his face was positively thunderous, but he seemed to be glaring at one of his protectors for snickering at the predicament they were in. His other protector- whose face was covered in its entirety by a mask- was adjusting the ribbon around his throat and talking in low tones to him. Whatever he said must have been enough to keep him from committing murder because the omega’s shoulders lost a little of their tension, and he merely reached out to flick the other protector in the eye. 

“Oi- what the _fuck_ , Law?!” 

Sabo turned away to focus back on the task at hand. “Ace, you have to start making your rounds with the old man. Lu, you should probably try to change into something more presentable,” he pinched the bridge of his nose when Luffy immediately started complaining. “You know what, never mind. I don’t have time to force you into it. Just try not to cause any more incidents, will you? I’m going to try and do some damage control.” 

“What do you mean ‘incidents’, I haven’t done anything wrong!” 

“Lu-” 

“ARE YOU DONE YET?” Garp bellowed as he marched up to them. Sabo held back a wince. Monkey D. Garp had exactly two volume settings, and those were either loud or _extremely_ loud. Sometimes Sabo feared he would go deaf by the time he reached thirty. 

“We were just about to start doing rounds, weren’t we guys?” he asked pointedly. His brothers both nodded slowly, clearly deciding not to incur Garp’s wrath for the time being. 

Ace elbowed Luffy not so gently in the side. “Yeah, we’ve got people to meet, huh?” 

Luffy elbowed him back. “Maybe _you_ do. I wanna hang out more with Torao,” he started to say, only for Garp to grab him by the collar and haul him away. 

“YOU’RE DOING YOUR ROUNDS TOO, RUNT.” He ignored the way Luffy squirmed and complained, only pausing briefly to tell Sabo and Ace to hurry up. 

The two shared a commiserating look before striding after him to meet the candidates. 

* * *

“Sorry about that, Torao,” Sanji said. “Luffy’s just… Well, you know.” 

Law did know, unfortunately. The little fool seemed hellbent on causing Law problems, even if it wasn’t on purpose. He just wanted this whole debacle to be behind them, but he doubted the rest of the candidates were ever going to let him forget it. Already he could see the snide looks they tossed his way, like he was the butt of some joke they were all in on. Like he was sand that stuck to their clothes and chafed their delicate skin. 

He hid his scowl in Killer’s collar and let out a disgruntled huff. He needed a drink. Preferably something with a lot of alcohol in it. He didn’t have a whole lot of experience with alcohol, but palm wine was a fairly popular import for Swallow Island, and after they distilled it themselves it was great for getting drunk. If he was lucky, they’d have something that strong here. 

He was sure the nobles could afford it; in fact, they could probably afford something that strong that tasted much better. The bigger question was whether or not they’d be serving it at this function. He turned around to see if he could mime out his question to Zoro and Sanji, but before he could he caught eyes with someone across the room and froze. 

His lips mouthed her name, and even if he had his voice, he wasn’t sure any sound would have come out with how shocked he was. 

Next thing he knew she had barreled across the ballroom floor and flung herself at him, tears pouring down her face and arms squeezed around him in a vice like grip. “Law!” 

He wheezed, prying her arms off so he could get his breath back. The men around him looked confused, but none more so than Kidd and Killer, who had known Law for years yet had never seen this girl in their entire lives. 

“Who the hell are you?” Kidd asked, ever polite. 

He stepped forward to pull her away, but she merely threw herself at Law again and glared at him. “We’re family!” she said loudly, sticking her tongue out at him for good measure. 

Kidd and Killer both whipped their heads to Law, the former snarling in outrage. It was clear that this would take some explaining, and for the millionth time in his life he mourned the fact that he couldn’t speak. It would have made things so much easier. But nothing could ever be easy for him, so he sighed and resigned himself to the longest night of his life. 

She tossed her long black curls over her shoulder triumphantly and smirked. Kidd’s face twisted into a sneer, and a growl rose from his throat, but Killer held him back. They’d caused enough of a ruckus for the night- best not to push it any further. 

“Buffalo! Dellinger! Look, it’s him! I was right!” she called across the room to her companions. Law hadn’t even noticed them before, but there was no mistaking them now. Part of him was annoyed at having to deal with them, and another far more worrying part was terrified of seeing the three of them again. He tried to push that part down, insisting that he had nothing to worry about, and that everything was going to be fine. 

“Stop yelling, Baby 5, we can hear you just fine,” Dellinger said, rubbing his ears as if her shrill voice actually hurt him. 

“Well, well, it really is him though, hmm?” Buffalo said, hunching down to leer at Law, who had to force himself not to punch the other in his huge obnoxious buckteeth. “Still looking like an artist’s scrap paper, huh?” he guffawed, reaching over to slap Law heartily on the back. 

His hand never made contact. 

Killer had intercepted it, holding it away from the omega, grip tight enough to make Buffalo’s brow scrunch up in discomfort. 

“Hands off,” was all Killer said. 

Buffalo scowled, yanking his arm back. “Hey, didn’t you hear what she said? We’re his _family_ , asshole.” 

“Funny. We’ve known him for years, and he’s never mentioned you before.” Never mind the fact that Law couldn’t even if he’d wanted to. Still, he wouldn’t have told them about his other “family” if he were able to speak. He’d left them years ago, never to see them again. It was just his rotten luck that this would happen. What were they even doing here anyway? 

He waved his arm between the two alphas to get their attention and keep them from fighting. Then he gestured at the three newcomers and raised an eyebrow in question. 

Baby 5, Dellinger, and Buffalo frowned at him. Kidd and Killer got the gist of what he was asking though. 

“He wants to know how you all got here,” Kidd said shortly. He finally got close enough to rip Law out of Baby 5’s hands, and she glared at him furiously. 

“We’re here for the selection! Why do you think?” she said, reaching out to grab Law’s arm and pull it. He didn’t particularly like the way things had turned into a game of tug-of-war, where his own body was the rope. But knowing the two of them, there was little he could do about it. 

Her words his him like a rock. The selection. Of course. It was the obvious answer, yet somehow it had never occurred to him that he’d know any of the other candidates. But of course he knew the one from Punk Hazard- stupid! He should have realized. Doflamingo practically ran the whole fucking island, of course he would send one of the family members to be the candidate for a future royal. The man was obsessed with power- as if he’d give up the chance to throw one of his lackeys at the throne. 

He glanced around the room furtively. He wasn’t here was he? No, he couldn’t be. Candidates were only allowed two protectors, and the spots were already taken by Buffalo and Dellinger. But exceptions could be made. He could have weaseled his way in somehow. 

He scanned the room for any sign of pink feathers, and suddenly the rosy hues of the marbled room and all its flowers wasn’t so appealing. If the room weren’t so damn pink it would be easier to spot someone wearing it. 

Was that laughter his? No, it wasn’t sharp enough. Not cold enough. Not like icy shards that dug into his skin and scraped at his bones. The room began to spin. 

“ _Hey_ ,” a gruff voice sounded in his ear, making him flinch. 

He blinked rapidly as Kidd’s face swam into view, and he found himself leaning into the other for support. He really wanted that drink now. 

“Alright, enough of this shit, we’re finding you someplace to sit down,” he said, leading him to a cushioned bench that was already occupied by a pair of dainty ladies. “Move it or lose it,” he growled at them. They gave him a scandalized yet terrified look and scampered away as he shoved Law onto it. 

Sanji reappeared with some more tea- where and how he’d managed to procure it so fast was beyond Law, but he wasn’t going to complain. He sipped at it tentatively as Sanji and Zoro herded the trio from Punk Hazard away. They’d be back to pester him sooner or later he was sure, but for the moment Zoro and Sanji succeeded in giving him space from them. He might have been grateful if he had any energy to devote to emotion. As it was, he was too busy trying to plot an escape route in case Doflamingo actually showed up at the palace. 

It was just- he was _so close_ . Being shunted off the island had already delayed him, and he wasn’t sure if he could even finish when he was so far from the ocean… And adding all the prying eyes of the other candidates along with _Doflamingo…_ It was just another hurdle atop the mountain he had to overcome. Gods, he wanted to go drown himself in the fountain. 

Killer and Kidd were hovering over him like large, burly guard dogs that would bite anyone that came too close. If there was anything good about his situation, it was that he had them with him. 

Not for the first time, he thanked his lucky stars that they’d been thrown in his path. They’d only met each other about five years ago, but it felt like he’d known them his whole life sometimes. 

Now was not one of those times, the difference between what they knew about him and what had never been brought to light as clear as day. To him at least. Kidd and Killer must have had plenty of questions for him, but they held back for the moment. Somehow, he’d have to try and explain things to them later. He’d always planned to- it was just that the plan was for him to do so in another year. When he could talk again. Hopefully. 

He didn’t know how long he sat there stewing in his thoughts before the royal entourage approached him again to make proper introductions. Honestly, he almost didn’t notice when they walked up, except Sanji had cleared his throat rather pointedly and reached around Killer to nudge Law quickly in the leg with his shoe. 

There was barely enough time for him to gather his tumultuous thoughts and blink at them before Luffy hurled himself at him. 

“Torao! These are my brothers, Ace and Sabo!” He waved one arm unnecessarily at the two and wrapped the other around the omega’s shoulders. “Oh, and Gramps,” he tacked on belatedly, shooting the older man a petulant frown before turning back to Law with a wide smile. 

It probably wouldn’t improve their first impressions of him to shove Luffy away by his face, so he settled for trying to peel the other’s arm off and scooting away. 

Unfortunately for him, neither of these worked, as they merely encouraged Luffy to tighten his grip and move closer. The alpha scrunched up his face and whined, “Aw, you’re not still mad about before, are you? I won’t do it again! I only did it cause Sanji said to anyway!” 

“I did not!” 

“You smell so nice though!” Luffy said, completely ignoring Sanji. “Like the sea! And rain…and something else too, but I’m not sure what.” He punctuated this statement by leaning in _even closer_ and trying to sniff at Law’s neck. 

That time he did push the little idiot away, and none too gently either. Seriously, someone had to teach the guy about _boundaries._ He looked beseechingly at the others, but Killer was turned away- possibly glowering at Buffalo, who had been inching his way back over- and Kidd was far too amused for someone who was constantly snapping at Luffy under normal circumstances. It was probably his way of getting back at Law for not warning them about his extended family. Asshole. 

Garp reached over to grab his grandson by the collar and keep him from reattaching himself to Law like a persistent barnacle. “MIND YOUR MANNERS.” 

“Uh, nice to meet you. It’s Trafalgar, right?” Sabo said, edging his way between Law and the argument Luffy and Garp were starting. 

Law nodded slowly. He wasn’t actually sure what proper etiquette was for meeting royalty. It’s not like Luffy cared about decorum or societal expectations, and that was all the experience Law had ever had with nobles. Should he get up and bow? Kneel on the ground or some other shit? He’d really rather not. He didn’t want to dirty his new clothes on the floor. Also he thought it was kind of stupid, but that seemed unwise to bring up at the moment. 

If he was making some sort of faux pas, Sabo didn’t make any indication of it. He merely smiled at him- not in the bright, eager way that his little brother did- but in a polite, professional way. _A princely way,_ Law thought to himself. 

“Sorry about Luffy. He means well, he’s just a little…slow on the uptake when it comes to personal boundaries.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, shrugging in a way that suggested that he was embarrassed but fond of him regardless. It seemed casual enough, but Law suspected that it was a calculated move. Somehow managing to be self-depreciating, despite the fact that Luffy’s behavior had nothing to do with Sabo himself. Trying to neutralize the playing field and make it feel as though Law was on equal footing with the royal family. It was only instinct telling him this, but Law was positive that Sabo’s courteous and nearly deferential behavior was something he did as a way to make people let their guard down. Law had known others like him before, but Sabo was definitely the most convincing of the lot. 

He didn’t think there was anything particularly sinister about the prince, but he was sure it was there all the same. It was probably a carefully cultivated behavior that he’d developed out of necessity. Law could respect that. Being royalty couldn’t be all fun and games, no matter how much Luffy made it seem that way. 

He offered Sabo his hand to shake- that seemed like a reasonable thing to do. If he could speak, he would have told him that it was fine, made his own reassurances that there would be no bad blood between them for the incident. He’d tell him that it was nice to meet him too because that was the polite thing to do, and he’d already made more enemies here on the mainland than he’d ever wanted to. No reason to add royalty to that list. 

Sabo took it with another gracious smile and ushered the crown prince forward. “I’m sure you already know who Ace is, but it’s high time you were properly introduced.” 

“Not the talkative sort, are you?” Ace said, clearly veering closer to Luffy’s lack of decorum than Sabo’s courtly manners. He hardly waited for Sabo to drop Law’s hand before grabbing it and shaking it firmly. 

Law fought off a scowl, but he wasn’t sure he was entirely successful at suppressing it. 

“Oh, Torao can’t talk. He’s, uh, what do you call it? A mutt?” Luffy said, wandering over and scratching his head in thought now that he was finally done fighting with Garp about princely behavior. 

Kidd barked out a laugh, and Law leaned forward to jab him in the kidney for it, relishing in the curses that spewed from the redhead’s mouth. 

Sanji and Zoro both sighed audibly. “Mute, Luffy. Torao is mute,” Sanji corrected tiredly. 

“Oh yeah, that.” 

Ace and Sabo both looked a bit taken aback at this information, but Sabo covered it up quickly with another self-depreciating smile and looked like he was about to apologize for the mix up before Ace spoke up. “Huh. So I guess long, heartfelt talks are out of question. Good. I hate those. Why’d they bother sending you anyway? You’re not the usual kind of candidate,” he said with the blunt force of a brick through a glass window. 

Law had been in the process of taking a tentative sip of his cooling tea, but at Ace’s words he choked. Killer came over to thump him on the back a few times while he coughed and tried to recover. 

“Ace, you made Torao choke!” 

“How come it’s my fault?” 

“Who else’s fault could it possibly be? And what did I tell you about thinking before you speak?” 

“Oh, he’s fine.” 

“Look at his shoulders shake- I swear, if you make another candidate cry tonight-!” 

“Torao, are you okay?” 

He waved a hand loosely in the brothers’ direction, too busy trying to get his breath back, but he just couldn’t help it. Ace’s frank appraisal and the horror in Sabo’s eyes at it were too funny. As was the thought that they thought Law was crying over it, and that Ace might make someone else cry that night from his brusque behavior. 

Killer took Law’s mug from him and went to dispose of it before he could spill it or inhale any more of it into his windpipe. Kidd took his place and kicked him lightly in the shin. “How long are you gonna sit there laughing, asshole?” His voice was as prickly as ever, but Law could tell he also found the situation kind of amusing. It wasn’t every day that people worried about the omega being so…sensitive. Back on Swallow Island, they probably would have liked nothing more than to see Law cry and feel humiliated. Of course, back on Swallow Island, they all thought he was a murderer. 

He finally gathered himself enough to catch his breath, wiping a tear from his eye. 

“Oh, you were laughing!” Luffy said, brightening up immediately. “That’s good. You should smile more, Torao, it looks nice on you. Hey, Sabo, you don’t have to beat up Ace after all- Torao thinks Ace is funny! See, I knew you would like each other!” 

That seemed like a bit of a stretch, but Law knew it would be pointless to try and convince Luffy otherwise. 

Sabo’s relief was practically palpable, and he muttered something under his breath that Law didn’t quite catch, but he thought he heard the words, “stubborn”, “idiotic”, and “brothers”. 

“WELL, THEY SURE SENT OUT A DIVERSE BUNCH FOR THE SELECTION THIS TIME,” Garp boomed out, startling Law. The older man had been so quiet after he and Luffy had finished their argument that he’d quite forgotten he was there at all. “BACK IN MY DAY, THEY ALL SENT PRETTY OMEGA WOMEN, AND THAT WAS IT. OF COURSE, IT MIGHT’VE BEEN THAT WAY FOR YOU TOO ACE IF YOU’D PUT ANY REQUIREMENTS ON CANDIDATES. IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT’S BEEN OFFERED THEN YOU HAVE ONLY YOURSELF TO BLAME.” 

“I didn’t want anyone to come at all,” he grumbled, wincing when Sabo elbowed him in the side. 

They shared a heated look before Ace finally looked away. Sabo turned back to his grandfather, polite smile back in place. “Well, it’s good to have so many different options, isn’t it? If they were all similar, it would easier for Ace to turn them all away. At least this way he has to actually get to know them, right?” 

Ace shot him another glare, but he ignored it. He was far more focused on their grandfather, who seemed to be mulling over the statement seriously. 

“YOU’RE RIGHT,” he said at last. “IF THEY’D ALL BEEN PRETTY, WELL BEHAVED OMEGA WOMEN, YOUR BROTHER WOULD HAVE SCARED THEM ALL AWAY BY NOW. BETTER TO HAVE SOME PEOPLE AROUND TO CHALLENGE HIM.” 

“I don’t need anyone to-” 

“QUIT YOUR YAPPIN’, BOY. I DON’T CARE HOW MANY ROUNDS OF SELECTIONS WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH- BY THE END OF THEM, SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE ENGAGED, AND IT BETTER BE ONE OF YOU THREE.” 

All three princes faces developed long suffering looks. This appeared to be part of a conversation they’d had with Garp many times before, all of which must have ended the same way. 

“Ugh, Gramps, don’t you ever get tired of telling us that?” Luffy whined, flopping down onto the bench beside Law once more. 

“NO.” 

The princes sighed in unison. 

“This is your fault, Ace. How come Sabo and I have to be dragged down with you?” 

“Hey! It’s not my fault I was born first!” 

“No, I agree with Luffy on this one. You could’ve just chosen one of your friends to get hitched to, and then none of this would have been necessary.” 

“I’m not gonna marry anyone! Even if they are my friends!” 

“It’s not like you’d actually have to sleep with them or anything- you’d just have to be legally married to them, and then Gramps wouldn’t be so hung up on this whole selection business-” 

“Oh, well why don’t you marry one of your friends then, Sabo? Or Luffy! How come it’s just me?” 

“You’re the one that doesn’t care about falling in love! Luffy’s friends would never agree to it anyway, and just because I actually have standards-!” 

“Hey! Are you saying my friends wouldn’t marry me? That’s mean! Zoro, Sanji, would you marry me?” Luffy jumped out of his seat, hands on hips to address them. 

They looked at him, then each other, then back to him. “Absolutely not,” they replied, completely deadpan. 

Law was caught between amusement and deep discomfort at being stuck in the middle of all this. Seriously, all he wanted was to lie low for the evening- or you know, forever- but he now realized this to be an absurd pipe dream. Would it be too conspicuous for him to run away right now? 

Suddenly, he was being tugged out of his seat by strong hands gripping his, and he stumbled into Luffy’s chest. “Torao, you would marry me, right?” 

His face was surprisingly earnest, those warm charcoal eyes boring straight into Law’s. It was also way to fucking close to his own face for comfort. He squirmed out of the alpha’s grip once more and stepped away. He would like very much to tell Luffy to keep his fucking hands to himself and not put him in such awkward situations, but obviously that would never work out. 

Still, maybe something could be said for trying anyway. Maybe he could mime out what he wanted from Luffy, and then Sanji and Zoro could interpret for him. That sounded reasonable enough. 

A loud snarl drew his attention away from the prince. 

The delegation from Punk Hazard had returned, along with a collection of candidates and protectors from other islands that hadn’t gotten to introduce themselves to the crown prince yet. Buffalo was attempting to loom over Killer to intimidate him, but his friend wasn’t so easily deterred. And Kidd had somehow managed to piss off some other protectors- he thought they were protectors anyway, what with the way they placed themselves squarely in front of a strange looking blond man with tattoos instead of eyebrows- hence the snarling. 

What was even worse was that the delegation from Mary Geoise had joined the crowd, and that spoiled brat Saint Charlos was glaring right at Law. He glared right back, but it didn’t make the other stop. His lips drew up in a sneer, and he took a step forward as if he was planning to walk over and punch Law. 

Honestly, he kind of wished he would try it. Law also had a strong desire to punch something at the moment, and Charlos’s face seemed like a perfect target. 

But first, he had to keep Kidd from killing anyone at the welcome banquet. 

Holding back a sigh, he strode over and attempted to pull Kidd away. Key word being “attempted”, as Kidd was a stubborn ass, and merely planted his feet and continued to glower at his new acquaintances. 

“Why don’t you try saying that again, asshole?” he growled at the other alpha in front of him. He looked familiar- one of the ones they traveled up the mountain with perhaps. He sure was a weird looking guy- with a large mouth, full of odd looking teeth, and his hair pulled tightly into a series of knots that went down to his waist. The mouth though was really weird. His teeth had strange black rectangles on them, and Law couldn’t help but think that the guy needed to take better care of his teeth if they looked like that. 

Weird teeth guy didn’t look at all perturbed by Kidd’s hostile attitude. “Really, there’s no need to be so unruly,” he said, “Aren’t we all here for the same reason? This isn’t a competition, you know.” 

It sort of was, even if no one wanted to admit it. Officials could talk about the crown prince finding true love all they wanted, but for the candidates, it was basically an unspoken expectation that they were competing to win the prince’s hand and become the next queen. 

“Then why don’t you slink back the way you came and get lost, Tooth Rot?” 

Law let his head drop into his hands. It was no fucking use. Kidd was determined to make enemies. 

Weird teeth guy flushed bright red. “To-tooth rot?! There’s nothing wrong with my teeth! They’re completely natural for my family, I’ll have you know! And you’re one to talk about strange appearances! With the scars and the- whatever that thing is on your arm! And your companions are no better with the mask and the patchy skin-!” He slapped a hand over his mouth at the last comment, eyes going bug-eyed at his own rudeness. 

He actually looked like he was going to apologize for insulting Law’s skin discoloration, but the omega couldn’t care less. It had been that way for well over a decade, and he’d gotten quite used to people’s judgmental looks for it. At least here they just assumed it was some unusual skin condition, and not… Well, not the actual, much worse reason, that would probably get him executed on the spot. 

“Apoo, that’s enough. Let the Swallow Island candidate rein in his protector. There’s no use trying to reason with wild animals anyway,” his companion piped up, throwing a haughty look over them. 

Well fuck that guy. Apoo- what an unfortunate name- seemed alright if not for Kidd aggravating him, but his fellow protector was a real bastard. He looked every bit as snooty and stuck up as Law would’ve pictured all the delegates to look like before he arrived. Hair and skin so dark they were nearly black, but bright yellow eyes that shone keen intelligence, and something almost catlike about him. 

Law instantly hated him. 

Unfortunately, he didn’t hate him enough to let Kidd try and gut him in front of all these people. He grabbed Kidd by the back of his collar, propriety be damned, and dragged him in the other direction. Kidd was forced to follow or be strangled. He chose the former option. 

In the meantime, the royals finally decided to step in and diffuse some of the tension. And by the royals, he meant Sabo. The prince quickly came forward to introduce himself to Apoo’s candidate, apologized for getting distracted, and hurriedly ushered his brothers forward as well. Garp hung behind them, but his massive frame and suddenly imposing presence made certain that they couldn’t forget he was there. 

Law didn’t bother to try and appease anyone else. He doubted it would have been any help anyway. Instead he grabbed Killer’s wrist and towed his protectors away to the other side of the ballroom, where there were mercifully less people milling about. 

Even better, at their approach, everyone else shied away and left them to their own devices. He knew he should probably be worried about that, but at the moment, he was far too grateful for it. He just wanted to be left the hell alone. 

He sank onto a newly vacated bench and threw an arm over his eyes. Fuck this. Were they allowed to leave yet? They met the crown prince, so that was all that really mattered, right? 

“Yikes. That looked rough.” 

He peeked up from beneath his arm at Nami, not bothering to hide his frown. Keeping up appearances wasn’t really important when it came to his original escort party. He was pretty sure they preferred it that way too. 

“You know, you guys could at least try to get along with the other candidates,” she said pointedly. 

That seemed like way too much work. It wasn’t even Law’s fault this time. What was he supposed to do? babysit Kidd every hour of every day? That definitely wasn’t going to happen. 

“Well, at least Ace seems to like you. Enough as he can, all things considered.” 

He raised an eyebrow at that, and she rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying. He came into this determined to hate every single one of you, but it looked like he thought you were alright. Oh, don’t give me that look- you didn’t even see him with the six candidates he met before you. I thought he was going to run off while he was talking to the one from Thriller Bark. Scooch over.” 

She plopped herself down next to him, spreading out leisurely on the bench. The rest of Luffy’s ragtag group of friends ambled on over to join them, with the exception of Zoro, who appeared to be on Luffy watch. 

Robin placed herself next to Nami on the bench and gave him a kindly smile. “It’s certainly been exciting tonight, hasn’t it?” 

Yeah, _exciting_. That was totally the word he would use to describe that evening. Right along with frustrating and eviscerating. 

“Yohoho, yes it’s quite lively!” Brook said cheerfully. He had a violin perched on his shoulder and was playing something slow and soothing that made Law want to close his eyes and take a nap. 

“It could be worse,” Sanji said, holding out a new tray of delicacies for them to pick at. “Ace and Garp seemed to like you. And Sabo too, but that’s not as surprising.” 

They seemed to have a lot of opinions about the royal family liking Law, despite their rather limited interaction together. The first of which, Ace had spent yelling at Law, thank you very much. It hardly seemed like a basis for friendship, much less marriage, if Garp were to have his way. But he supposed they knew the royal family better than he did. 

To be honest, he wasn’t sure if the royal family liking him was a good thing or not. It definitely ruined his plan for lying low, but that was plan was pretty much done for at this point. There was probably perks to being friendly with the crown, but Law didn’t know what yet. It looked like he was going to have plenty of time to learn in the future. 

“It’s SUPER! Should we be hearing wedding bells soon?” Franky joked, laughing raucously when Law removed his arm to scowl at him in full force. 

Kidd let out a low growl in his throat, making Usopp and Chopper shy away from him, but Franky just laughed harder. Killer nudged him lightly in the side and gestured with his head for Kidd to follow him. They stayed close, not wanting to leave Law on his own, but far enough that they could talk in private. He was sure Killer was trying to convince him that he had to suck it up and acknowledge the fact that while all of Swallow Island knew they were pawning Law off as a way to get rid of him, everyone here thought Law was sent to try and marry the prince like all the other candidates. 

Kidd would get used to it eventually. He was just used to being protective because they were forced to look out for each other constantly back home. One careless moment on Swallow Island could have meant a knife in the back or a swift drowning. 

It’s a big adjustment to make for them. But none of their original escort party has given them reason to distrust them. They may be a little brazen, but they weren’t bad people. 

“It’s hard to picture Ace willingly marrying _anybody,_ but I am looking forward to watching candidates throw themselves all over him to try and woo him,” Nami said with a wicked grin. “Anybody want to start making bets on who is going to try and get in his pants first?” 

Usopp groaned loudly, “Please no. I don’t want to picture anyone trying to get in any of their pants.” 

“Too bad, you have to anyway,” Nami shot back. 

“What?! Why’d you bother asking then? Besides, we aren’t supposed to be gambling in front of candidates!” Usopp said, pointing rather unnecessarily at Law as if it would help his case. 

She merely snorted. “Garp said we’re not allowed to gamble with _money_ ,” she countered. “He didn’t say anything about gambling with, say, whoever has to watch Luffy while Ace gets to know the candidates. And it’s not like Torao would rat us out anyway.” 

He wasn’t sure whether she meant he wouldn’t do it because he didn’t care or because he was incapable of voicing such concerns to the regent. Either way, she was right. 

“Wh- I thought we all agreed that Zoro should just do it!” 

Nami gave him a scathing look. “Oh, please. As if that meathead could be trusted to keep Luffy from doing stupid shit. Zoro has to train sometimes anyway. We only said that to Garp to get him off our backs while we actually figure out who has to deal with the little monster while Ace courts people.” 

“Aw, Luffy isn’t _that_ bad,” Chopper said, climbing onto the bench beside Robin and snuggling against her side. 

The rest of the group made various sounds of disagreement. 

“You do remember what happened earlier today with Saint Charlos, right?” Sanji said, making them all grimace. “Just imagine if he showed up while Ace and Charlos were together. Garp would have our hides.” 

The kid didn’t have anything to say to that, so they continued with their bets. 

“I’d say that woman from Ennies Lobby is already scheming to find a way into our dear crown prince’s bed,” Robin said. She gestured across the room to a tall blonde woman standing off to the side of the group that surrounded Ace, although she was clearly planning her next move to introduce herself to the prince. She was showing an awful lot of skin, and there was a shrewd look about her and her companions that made Law’s skin prickle. 

Nami hummed thoughtfully, scribbling down Robin’s bet onto a notebook that she must have hidden somewhere on her person beforehand. 

“Oh, Kalifa? Yeah, she probably would. She’s a real piece of work from what I remember. We used to trade a lot with Ennies Lobby back on Water 7. She was even Iceburg’s secretary for a while. Speaking of which, where is that asshole anyway? He was definitely on the list of candidates, but I haven’t seen him yet. You’d think he’d have time to say hello to his old buddy Franky, but nooooo.” 

“As if you were buddies,” Nami snorted. “And he’s over there by those creepy guys from Thriller Bark. If you want to start a fight with him so bad, now’s your chance. He might actually thank you for it if it gets him away from those weirdos.” 

He scoffed, then struck a dramatic pose. “No way! Garp said no fighting, and I’m being SUPER diligent about it!” 

“Ugh, you’re so boring. Are you going to at least bet on him trying to get in Ace’s pants then?” 

“Well, that’s SUPER gross, Nami, but also hilarious, so YES!” 

“Fabulous. Anyone else? I’m picking Pudding. Sleeping with Ace was probably one of the first things her mom ordered her to do, and there’s no way any of them would disobey her. Momma’s girl,” she muttered under her breath, and Robin patted her consolingly on the shoulder. 

Usopp eyed her skeptically. “You’re not still mad at her about the wedding, are you? I mean, Sanji’s the one who jilted her at the altar, and you were with him the whole time, so of course she thought you were having an affair.” 

The look she gave him would have melted lead, and he skittered behind Franky when he realized his mistake. 

“For the last _fucking_ time, I am not mad at her for calling me a man-stealing whore! In front of the whole wedding! And it’s not my fucking fault that she’s too stupid to realize that Sanji and I are only friends! Or that he ran out because we realized the whole marriage was a sham, and she was just going to divorce him and take half his money or murder him in his sleep!” She had leapt to her feet while shouting, and it was all Usopp could do to cower behind their larger friend while she ranted. 

Sanji looked like he wanted nothing more than the conversation to be done with. “Can we please stop talking about my ex-fiancé before you summon her over here like a gremlin.” 

“Fine,” Nami huffed, throwing herself back onto the bench. “Who are you betting on, then?” 

He peered around the room for a moment before deciding. “I’m actually going to say the one from Punk Hazard. She’s your… well, you’re something, isn’t she Law? What do you think? Am I totally off base?” He knocked his shoe gently against Law’s to prompt him. 

It had been quite some time since he’d last seen Baby 5, but he wouldn’t put it past her. She’d spent most of the time professing her undying love to random men that claimed to need her help when they were younger, but he sincerely hoped she’d grown out of that. He doubted it, but he hoped nonetheless. If Ace offered her a hand after she tripped onto her face, she’d probably start writing him sonnets and throw herself into his bed as a way to thank him, so maybe Sanji’s guess wasn’t horrible. 

He shrugged in a way he hoped conveyed his feelings on the matter. 

“Okay, Sanji bets on… what’s her name again? Baby 5? What kind of name is that anyway?” It sounded like a rhetorical question, so Law ignored it. Being mute and all would have made it far too difficult to explain that her mother hadn’t bothered giving her or any of her sisters real names as children, as the woman had deemed it- and Baby 5- useless. 

“What are you guys betting on now?” 

Zoro reappeared with Luffy in tow, Kidd and Killer also returning. “Whatever it is, I bet on Torao!” Luffy piped up, crashing in between Law and Nami, much to their mutual displeasure. 

“Luffy, we’re betting on who’s going to try to convince your brother to have sex with them, and somehow I don’t think Torao is going to be on that list,” Sanji added helpfully. 

“Oh, well, I guess he could try if he wanted.” 

Law shoved him off the bench for that remark, and thankfully the royal family didn’t come running over to berate him for it. Luffy pouted at him, but didn’t bother to try and get back on the bench, choosing instead to spread his legs out on the floor. 

“Zoro, who’s your pick? And you have to pick one- no wimping out, and no choosing someone that someone else has already bet on. We’re gambling with our babysitting time,” Nami said, right back to business. 

“Who are you babysitting?” Luffy asked. He laughed cheerfully when they all told him it was him. 

Zoro grabbed a few hors d’oeuvres from Sanji’s tray and stuffed them in his mouth. “Who’s taken then? Besides Torao,” he smirked through the food in his mouth. Law raised a finger at him that he was sure didn’t need translating. 

“The ones from Ennies Lobby and Punk Hazard are already taken, as well as Pudding and Iceburg,” Robin said. 

“Hmm. I’m going to say that creep from Mary Geoise. He looks stupid enough to try it.” 

“Alright, that leaves Usopp, Chopper, and Brook. And Jinbei whenever he gets back I guess,” Nami said, writing down his answer. “Usopp, stop being a baby and choose someone.” 

He gave a huff of mock offense. “Fine. I pick, uh, that creepy girl from Thriller Bark.” 

“Ugh, really? Are you even trying?” 

“You said I had to pick one!” 

“Whatever, lose if you want to. Brook, Chopper, how about you two?” 

Chopper peeked from under his fluffy brown bangs as the candidates milling around the room. “How about that one from Mystoria? His group seemed interested in meeting Ace.” 

“Well, I’ll choose the one from Amazon Lily then!” Brook said cheerily. “Although I dare say she doesn’t look particularly interested in any of the princes,” he laughed heartily. Clearly, he didn’t mind if he was put on babysitting duty. But Law supposed he was running out of obvious choices anyway. 

Nami nodded as if this was all perfectly normal for them- which Law realized, it probably was- and finished writing everyone’s choices in her notebook. He was less than pleased to see that his name was written down for Luffy’s pick. As if Luffy was actually part of the group that needed to choose who was going to watch him. 

“So if we’re all taking bets to see who tries first and nobody tries tonight, then who has to watch Luffy tomorrow?” Usopp asked with trepidation in his voice. 

They all traded similarly concerned looks. “Well, who’s Ace supposed to be meeting with this week? He has to spend an hour with two each day right? At least for the first few weeks,” Sanji said. 

Nami pulled a different notebook out of the folds of her dress and flipped to a set of pages with a neatly written schedule on it. “Tomorrow he’s supposed to meet with- oh, gross- Saint Charlos in the morning and Baby 5 in the evening.” 

“Yikes. Can you imagine having to deal with that first thing in the morning?” Zoro said. 

“I wouldn’t laugh just yet if I were you, Moss-head. After all, you might be on babysitting duty tomorrow.” 

Zoro scowled. “Nah. Garp said I had to patrol for the next week. Said it was common for people to try and sneak in during the selection and cause problems.” Apparently, he wasn’t particularly taken with the idea of having to do patrol for the next week. Particularly after he’d just returned to the castle. 

“Sucks to be you,” Nami said. “Pudding and Reiju are both the next day, so I’d say it’s best if Sanji isn’t on babysitting duty that day.” Reiju was his sister, Sanji explained, and left it at that. There didn’t seem to be a whole lot of lost love between them, so Law didn’t pry. “Shirahoshi and Vivi are after that. At least it won’t be a problem if Luffy’s around Vivi- you can’t be around Shirahoshi if you make her cry though.” She addressed the last part to the prince, who seemed entirely unaffected at the thought. 

He scratched his nose and rolled his eyes. “Aw, it’s not my fault she’s such a crybaby. Besides, we have fun together! But not as much fun as with Vivi- hey, I haven’t gotten to say hi to either of them yet! Where are they?” 

“You’ll have plenty of time to talk to them for the next year. Don’t wonder off or someone will have to follow you, and we don’t want that until we figure out our schedules,” Nami snapped. “Now, it’s Hiyori from Wano and Kalifa the next day. Then Rebecca from Dressrosa and-oh! It’s Coby last on Friday. Too bad you’ll be gone, Zoro, you guys would have had fun.” 

Law was starting to get the feeling that a lot of the other candidates were far better connected to the mainland than he was. It wasn’t exactly a surprise, given the state of Swallow Island, but so many of them had ties to Luffy’s group that he was starting to feel like even more of an outsider. 

Franky volunteered to take one for the team and spend the first day with Luffy to make sure he didn’t try to yell or hit Charlos, much to the others’ relief. Both Nami and Sanji were declared unfit for duty when it came to Pudding and Reiju, so Robin was assigned for her more diplomatic attitude. Wednesday involved a lot of arguing because apparently they all wanted to be there with Vivi, but eventually it was Chopper that got the spot, largely due to the fact that he was too adorable to turn down. Franky refused to be around Kalifa, and since he was already taking the worst spot, they agreed to let him skip that day. There was some more bickering, but eventually Nami agreed to watch Luffy that day. Friday went to Usopp, who also knew Coby. Sanji knew him too, but he had a lot of work in the kitchens that day, so he wasn’t able to take the spot. 

“So we’re all agreed that unless someone wins the bet, this is our schedule this week?” She said it as a question, but they all knew there was no changing it. “Good. Should we look at next week too then?” 

There was little else to do at the moment, so they continued. “It’s the candidates from Jaya next Monday,” she said. 

“You mean the candidates from Skypiea and Shandia,” Usopp corrected her. “We’re not supposed to call it Jaya anymore- especially not during the selection.” 

“How dumb,” Zoro grunted. “It’s not like everyone doesn’t know they’re supposed to be one island. They don’t even like being called two islands. It’s just because those stupid traditionalists are all obsessed with having twenty one islands and twenty one candidates.” 

Robin sighed. “Yes, it is a shame. The Skypieans and Shandians love their individuality, but they do hate the official split of their islands in the records.” 

“Nothing else to do to appease those tradionalists though. No other island could be split like theirs, and Garp wasn’t about to go conquer another island just for that. Other islands are too far out to hold effectively anyway, which is why the kingdom has stayed at twenty one islands for hundreds of years. I guess it always seemed like it would stay that way. No one could have predicted what happened to Flevance,” Sanji said, shaking his head morosely. 

Law’s spine tingled, and he clenched his hands in his robes, forcing himself to act normal. He absolutely could not draw attention to himself when people talked about Flevance. 

“Since Zoro doesn’t have to be on babysitting duty the first week, I think he should be the one to watch him next Monday,” Usopp suggested, swiftly moving on from the topic. 

Law released a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

“It looks like Iceburg is Tuesday, so that means anyone but Franky. And it’s the candidate from Mystoria in the evening. Hawkins? Hmm. Sanji, are you doing anything important that day?” He wasn’t. “Good, that one’s you then. It’s Wanda from Zou and Hancock from Amazon Lily after that. Jinbei should be back by then, so he can take that day. Ko-koala? Who names their kid that? Never mind, it’s Koala from Raftel and Perona from Thriller Bark. Brook, you’re from Thriller Bark, and you haven’t had a day yet. Can you take that one?” 

“Yohoho! But of course! I’m sure I can keep an eye on our young prince and keep him from causing trouble with my old acquaintances from Thriller Bark!” He punctuated his statement with a flurry of musical notes on his violin. 

She rolled her eyes fondly and continued. “Well, that means everyone has taken at least one day. All that’s left is Friday with…. X Drake from Little Garden and Urouge from Raijin Island. Don’t know much about those two, _but_ Dorry and Broggy are apparently his protectors, so at least we know they can keep Luffy from doing anything too stupid.” 

“Hey!” 

“This Urouge guy is weird though. He didn’t bring any protectors at all. I mean, maybe he doesn’t need them when he’s jacked like that,” she said, pointing discreetly at a large, burly man that was currently greeting Ace. “Still, kind of an odd pick. Who sends a male alpha to marry another male alpha when Garp made such a fuss about the royal line needing heirs? It’s not like they can have any kids together.” 

“Maybe they’ll adopt,” Robin suggested. 

Nami hummed. “And then of course, Torao is the last one that final Monday. If it were someone actually interested in getting selected, I might feel sorry for them, but in your case I don’t think you’ll mind.” 

She was correct. Most people would have been disappointed to be last. After twenty other candidates, the prince was sure to be tired of getting to know new people, and would likely have lost most interest in meeting anyone new. It was therefore the least desirable slot for first dates, and often went to Swallow Island. Being the poorest meant they didn’t have the money or connections to weasel their way into getting a better meeting time. Many a candidate from Swallow Island had been disappointed by the outcome. Law was fucking thrilled. 

Perhaps if he was really lucky, Ace would just forego their stupid date altogether, and they could go about their own lives. It was unlikely that Garp would allow such a thing, but he could dream. 

“That’s okay, Torao! They say to save the best for last! And I’ll get you lots of time with Ace and Sabo even without the official meetings!” Luffy said, slapping Law’s knee as if he was doing him a favor. 

Law let his face fall into his hands once more. It was going to be a long fucking year. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very long chapter in which very little happens lol. oh my god there's so much dialogue. I did mention this was a slow burn right???? hoo boy, there's so much shit that has to be explained in this au lmao. Just in case it's not clear, everyone is human in this au, and they're all more or less normal sized, so no giants sorry. 
> 
> I think one of the biggest downsides to deciding that there were 21 islands was that i then had to decide on 21 candidates and their protectors and try to make it somewhat coherent lol. Some of the choices were obvious, and some of them were like...i can't think of anyone else, so you're part of this one _i guess_.
> 
> man i do NOT know how i went through that phase last time where i updates a fic like every week. somehow i got in the habit of writing after work, but NOW that is not the case lol. i fucking go home, eat lunch/dinner and then take unintended naps for like 3-4 hours instead lmao. So rn i'm just writing on weekends. and not even every weekend because despite my best intentions, sometimes i just get too distracted lol. forced myself to wrap this one up today tho so thank god it actually worked


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